Greenhills kept on US list of ‘notorious markets’ for fake goods

MANILA, Philippines — The US trade agency has kept Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan on its watch list for counterfeit and pirated goods, with the Metro Manila mall being the only establishment in the Philippines cited in the latest report.

In its 2025 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) said that despite tougher enforcement measures, a large market for fake goods persists in the area.

READ: Greenhills shopping center aims to shed ‘counterfeit haven’ tag

“Greenhills Shopping Center is a large mall in Manila with many storefronts selling counterfeit electronics, perfumes, watches, shoes, accessories and fashion items,” the USTR said in the report released Wednesday.

The US trade agency acknowledged that Philippine authorities have taken steps to curb the sale of counterfeit products, including the closure of more than 300 stalls selling fake goods in Greenhills over the past year.

READ: Greenhills Shopping Center stays on US watch list

However, it said rights holders remain concerned about the continuing presence of counterfeit items in the shopping complex.

“Although right holders have welcomed these developments, they also continue to observe a significant number of counterfeit goods and continue to wait and see if the transition program will resolve their concerns about the volume of counterfeit goods,” the USTR said.

Overall, the USTR’s 2025 Notorious Markets List includes 37 online marketplaces and 32 physical markets worldwide, including Central Market in Phnom Penh, Musafir Khana Market in Mumbai and MBK Center in Bangkok. /dda