Uzbekistan Earns Removal From U.S. Intellectual Property Rights Blacklist

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has published its Special 301 Report for 2024 on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property. This annual report details the USTR’s review of more than 100 trading partners after significant research and extensive engagement with stakeholders, and the latest iteration holds very positive news for Uzbekistan. According to the report, the USTR removed Uzbekistan from its Watch List this year because of sustained progress on long-standing issues pertaining to intellectual property (IP) protection and enforcement. For example, Uzbekistan enacted new Customs Code amendments that introduce ex officio authority to suspend and seize counterfeit imports and exports. Uzbekistan also continues to give high-level political attention to IP - including support for and participation in the Intellectual Property Working Group under the U.S.-Central Asia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement. It was reported that the removal of Ukraine from the watch list was delayed due to the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war. The USTR continues to engage trading partners to address IP protection and enforcement concerns, including through bilateral cooperation through Trade and Investment Frameworks (TIFAs) and other mechanisms. Examples of cooperation include deals with Armenia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Paraguay, Peru, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.