Counterfeit Products
In addition to non-compliance, there is a significant number of counterfeit products that are manufactured in China with the Middle East and Africa being the key target markets. The UK is generally less affected by counterfeit electrotechnical products, but still has a responsibility to ensure that there is a safe and fair market, especially as many other markets have adopted UK standards. UK businesses need to demonstrate that they are taking significant measures to stop the imitation of products, even if these products are not reaching the UK market.
The responsibility for ensuring only genuine quality products are used and traded across the world lies with all those specifying, purchasing and installing electrical equipment.
International Law prohibits counterfeiting; free riding on names/reputations of others, receiving undue profits and providing no guarantee on defective goods.
Counterfeiting can take various forms and is a very serious issue within the market. The products may be passed off as those of a genuine manufacturer, or in other cases they are illegal copies of the genuine product but are offered as cheaper alternatives. Sometimes genuine and counterfeit products are mixed in a consignment. The main issue is that there are no guarantees with counterfeit products, which are unlikely to have been tested to the appropriate standards and can create a very dangerous environment.
BEAMA formed the Anti-counterfeit Working Group ( ACWG) in 2000 with the aim of stemming the flow of counterfeit products by taking action against the counterfeiters manufacturing electrical installation products , and the traders who distribute them to many international markets including the Middle East and Africa which form an important part of our members’ export businesses. This work has achieved global recognition for its proactive work and receives cooperation from trade associations around the world.
