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\tThe American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has urged the European Commission to strengthen enforcement against online counterfeiting, naming Facebook, Instagram, Alibaba.com, AliExpress and DHGate as platforms of concern in its submission to the EU\u2019s 2027 Counterfeit and Piracy Watch List.<\/p>\n
The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has urged the European Commission to strengthen action against online counterfeiting, naming Meta, Alibaba.com, AliExpress and DHGate as platforms of concern.
\nAAFA cited safety failures in 16 of 39 counterfeit products tested and called for stronger seller verification, proactive detection and tougher action against repeat offenders.<\/p>\n
In its October 28 submission, AAFA said online platforms rely too heavily on brands to identify and report counterfeit products and fraudulent advertisements after they appear, rather than preventing them from entering their systems. The association said seller verification, proactive monitoring and repeat-infringer policies often fail to work consistently, while limited transparency makes it harder for brands to tackle the scale of the problem.<\/p>\n
AAFA highlighted consumer safety risks in a study of 39 counterfeit apparel, footwear and accessory products, of which 16, or 41 per cent, failed to meet US and international product safety standards. Eight products failed because of excessive phthalate levels, while five contained per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), six tested positive for alkylphenols and alkylphenol ethoxylates (AP\/APEOs), three for bisphenol-A (BPA), two for formaldehyde and three for heavy metals.<\/p>\n
One product contained 191 parts per million of lead, while another had almost 10 times the regulatory limit for formaldehyde. AAFA said all hazardous chemicals detected were listed as restricted or banned under its Restricted Substances List, an industry standard for chemicals in apparel, footwear and travel goods. At least 25 per cent of the failed products were purchased on or marketed through Meta platforms.<\/p>\n
The association also cited enforcement data shared by its members. One member reported removing more than 120,000 counterfeit products and over 24,000 fraudulent advertisements across Meta platforms in the first half of 2026. Another identified around 1,200 infringing listings on Alibaba.com between November 2025 and August 2026, which AAFA said generated an estimated $500,000 in revenue.<\/p>\n
AAFA said counterfeiters frequently return through new accounts and use tactics such as fake brand profiles, altered logos, hidden links and connected seller accounts to evade detection. It called for stronger seller and advertiser verification, proactive screening, effective measures to keep removed listings from reappearing, tougher repeat-infringer policies and better information-sharing between platforms, rights holders and enforcement authorities.<\/p>\n
While acknowledging that some platform enforcement programmes work better than others, AAFA said removing individual listings is not enough to address persistent counterfeiting. It urged the European Commission to use the Watch List to drive measurable improvements in platform accountability and prevent counterfeit goods from reaching consumers.<\/p>\n
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Fibre2Fashion News Desk (CG)<\/p>\n
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