Ivanka Trump brand said pursuing global deals while she works in White House

NEW YORK — Ivanka Trump’s fashion company has filed trademarks for her brand around the world even as she serves as an employee in her father’s White House, according to a report.

An article Wednesday in The New York Times reported that the brand, Ivanka Trump Marks, has filed four new trademarks in Canada and the Philippines since her father, President Donald Trump, took office. Although she has stepped down from positions at the Trump Organization and her fashion company, and has put her brand in a trust, Ivanka Trump still retains a measure of financial control and the power to approve certain deals, which could violate federal conflict-of-interest laws.

Long an unofficial aide to her father, Trump formally became an unpaid White House adviser last month. She has attended several of her father’s meetings with foreign leaders in the past several months, including with Shinzo Abe of Japan, Justin Trudeau of Canada and Angela Merkel of Germany.

China approved three Ivanka Trump trademarks on April 6, the same day that she met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump’s brand has pending trademark applications in 10 countries, according to the Times, and has filed at least 173 foreign trademarks in 21 countries, Hong Kong and the European Union.

Federal employees such as Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, who is also a senior adviser to the president, are barred from making government decisions that benefit their financial holdings. They also may not receive gifts or honors from foreign leaders. According to the Times, Trump and Kushner’s businesses are worth as much as $740 million.

China has defended its handling of trademark applications from Ivanka Trump and her company, saying that all such requests are handled fairly.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Lu Kang said that China follows the law in granting trademarks and “the principle of giving equal protection to foreign trademark holders.”

Asked about the timing of the April 6 approvals, Lu said: “There are perhaps some media engaging in hyping certain gossip to hint at something undisclosed. I can tell you that they will never succeed.”

Beyond the provisionally approved trademarks, Ivanka Trump Marks LLC has 16 registered trademarks in China and more than 30 pending applications, according to China’s Trademark Office database. They collectively cover a wide range of goods and services, including cosmetics, jewelry, leather handbags, luggage, clothes, shoes, retail, spa and beauty services. Other countries where the company has pending and registered trademarks include Japan, Mexico, Turkey, Israel, Canada and Saudi Arabia.

Sales of Ivanka Trump’s brand, which she no longer manages but still owns, hit record levels in 2017 by some measures despite boycotts and several stores limiting her merchandise. US imports, almost all from China, shot up an estimated 166 percent last year, according to Panjiva Inc., which tracks international imports to the United States.

In a statement Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Ivanka Trump brand said the 2017 Chinese trademarks were filed defensively to prevent counterfeiters or squatters from using her name.

Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, are trusted advisers to the president. Criminal conflict-of-interest law prohibits federal officials from participating in government matters that could impact their own financial interest or that of their spouses. Some argue that the more Ivanka Trump’s business broadens its scope, the more it threatens to encroach on the couple’s ability to deliver credible advice on core issues like trade, intellectual property and the value of the Chinese currency.

Asked about Ivanka Trump’s role in US-China relations, Lu said: “We always think highly of the people who are committed to promoting China-US friendship and cooperation, whether they are from the government or society, and we commend their efforts.”