Ivanka Trump's brand continues to win foreign trademarks in China and the Philippines, adding to questions about conflicts of interest at the White House, according to the Associated Press.

Key points: China grants Ms Trump's company approval for 13th trademark in three months, with more likely to come

China grants Ms Trump's company approval for 13th trademark in three months, with more likely to come Another of Ms Trump's brands won three trademarks in the Philippines after her father took office

Another of Ms Trump's brands won three trademarks in the Philippines after her father took office Chinese officials emphasise applications are handled in accordance with the law, amid concerns about political influence

On Sunday, China granted the first daughter's company final approval for its 13th trademark in the past three months, trademark office records show.

Over the same period, the Chinese government has granted Ms Trump's company provisional approval for another eight trademarks, which can be finalised if no objections are raised during a three-month comment period.

Taken together, the trademarks could allow her brand to market a lifetime's worth of products in China, from baby blankets to coffins, and a host of things in between, including perfume, make-up, bowls, mirrors, furniture, books, coffee, chocolate and honey.

Ms Trump stepped back from management of her brand and placed its assets in a family-run trust, but she continues to profit from the business.

"Ivanka Trump's refusal to divest from her business is especially troubling as the Ivanka brand continues to expand its business in foreign countries," Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington executive director Noah Bookbinder said in an email Monday.

"It raises significant questions about corruption, as it invites the possibility that she could be benefiting financially from her position and her father's presidency or that she could be influenced in her policy work by countries' treatment of her business."

As Ms Trump and her father have built their global brands, largely through licensing deals, they have pursued trademarks in dozens of countries.

Ms Trump has stepped back from the management of her brand but continues to profit. ( Reuters: Brendan McDermid )

Those global trademarks have drawn the attention of ethics lawyers because they are granted by foreign governments and can confer enormous value.

Concerns about political influence have been especially sharp in China, where the courts and bureaucracy are designed to reflect the will of the ruling Communist Party.

Chinese officials have emphasised that all trademark applications are handled in accordance with the law.

More approvals are likely to come.

Online records from China's trademark office indicate that Ivanka Trump's company last applied for trademarks — 17 of them — on March 28, 2017, the day before she took on a formal role at the White House.

Those records on Monday showed there were at least 25 Ivanka Trump trademarks pending review, 36 active marks and eight with provisional approval.

The World Intellectual Property Organisation's global brand database also shows that her company, Ivanka Trump Marks LLC, won three trademarks in the Philippines after her father took office.

Two of them that cover clothing, including lingerie and baby clothes, were filed on February 8, 2017 and registered in June and November.

The third, filed on March 1, 2017, covers clothing and footwear and was registered in July.

Companies register for trademarks for a variety of reasons. They can be a sign of corporate ambition, but in many countries, like China, where trademark squatting is rampant, companies also file defensively, to block copycats from grabbing legal rights to a brand's name.

Customs records show that the bulk of the company's US imports are shipped from China. ( Reuters: Amir Cohen )

Trademarks are classified by category and may include items that a company does not intend to market.

Some trademark lawyers also advise clients to register trademarks for merchandise that is manufactured in China, even if it's not sold there.

Ms Trump does not have a large retail presence in China, but customs records show that the bulk of her company's US imports are shipped from China.

The brand's secretive Chinese supply chains have been the subject of some controversy.

A year ago, three men working for China Labor Watch, a New York-based non-profit group, were arrested while investigating labour abuses at Ms Trump's suppliers in China.

After 30 days in detention, they were released on bail, but continue to live under police surveillance.

Li Qiang, the group's founder, said Monday that he hoped bail would be lifted soon and that the case would not go to trial.

Police in Ganzhou, the south-eastern Chinese city where the men were detained, could not be reached for comment.

The Chinese law firm that handles Ms Trump's intellectual property in China also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

AP