Shanghai: Since her father was elected President of the United States, global sales of Ivanka Trump merchandise have surged and her company has applied for at least nine new trademarks in the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Canada and the US — signs that the commercial engine of Ivanka’s brand is still humming even as the first daughter builds a new political career from her West Wing office. Sales hit record levels in 2017, despite boycotts and several stores limiting her merchandise. US imports, almost all of them from China, shot up an estimated 166 per cent last year.
The brand, which Ivanka still owns, says distribution is growing. It has launched new activewear and affordable jewelry lines and is working to expand its global intellectual property footprint. In addition to applying for the new trademarks, Ivanka Trump Marks LLC has won provisional approval from the Chinese government for four new trademarks. Criminal conflict of interest law prohibits federal officials, like Ivanka and her husband, from participating in government matters that could impact their own financial interest or that of their spouse. Some argue that the more her business broadens its scope, the more it threatens to encroach on the ability of two of President Trump’s most trusted advisers to deliver credible advice on core issues like trade and the value of the Chinese currency.
