Fake products from China destroyed in Sharjah

Sharjah: In one of the largest counterfeit cases of industrial parts in recent times in the UAE, the Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD) earlier this month destroyed more than 12,000 fake water pumps of Chinese origin.

A spokesperson of the SEDD confirmed to Gulf News the action on June 6 without mentioning any of the companies involved.

However, Gulf News has learnt that the fake pumps were traded under the brand name of Italian manufacturer Pedrollo, which is a leading supplier of water pumps for domestic, industrial and agricultural sectors in the Middle East.

Regional sales executive Roni Gomes told Gulf News the fake pumps destroyed had a value of around $1 million (Dh3.67 million).

"Traders export pumps manufactured in China with our trademark and sell them in the UAE and Mena region," Gomes said. "With the help of the Sharjah Department of Econ-omic Development 13,750 electric water pumps have been confiscated and destroyed."

Negative impact

Counterfeit products are causing companies owning established brands huge losses, said Pedrollo Middle East General Manager Joseph S. Gomes.

Moreover, "they tarnish our brand image and endanger the lives of the end users."

He argued that counterfeit products "have a negative impact on the whole economy and the brands they copy. It discourages companies that invest millions in research and development, advertisement and marketing."

He said that it has been discovered that the fake pumps were manufactured and traded by a Chinese company registered in Dubai [name withheld by Gulf News] and with warehouses all over the UAE, including Sharjah. A heavy fine has been imposed on the counterfeiter, he said.

"The government is on the right track," Gomes added. "Due to frequent inspections and intellectual property rights drives, the counterfeiters are cautious in showcasing such products."

But the "unethical phenomenon" is difficult to prevent as most of the business with fake products is happening through the "back door", he says. Dubai is the hub of business in the Middle East, which caters to the whole Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region. In a year more than 10 million containers are shipped to Dubai.

"Taking advantage of this, the traders mix the original and counterfeit and a big chunk of counterfeit goods makes its way into these regions," Gomes said. He urged the authorities to work with the private sector to stop this trade.