Counterfeit heavy-duty parts in the aftermarket have attracted a good deal of attention. The issue has been discussed at some of the industry’s more prominent venues this year, including Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week (HDAW) and the spring meeting of the Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC), as well as other industry gatherings. The Motor Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) considers it a priority issue.
The issue is at times polarizing. Some feel it is blown out of proportion and unfairly condemns parts brought to market by manufacturers and suppliers of quality tested, legally distributed replacement products. Others say it is a significant and growing aftermarket issue.
Distributors and installers can be at risk, even unwittingly, if the parts they sell or replace fail. While counterfeit parts introduce greater risks, simply being the importer of a product can create problems. Liability can exist throughout the entire supply chain, from the manufacturer through to the distributor, which is why it is always vital to know the products you distribute are supported by manufacturers with a reputation for quality who are willing to stand behind their products.
To take a lesson from the automotive side of the business, a New Jersey-based company recently was ordered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to recall as many as 450,000 imported light-truck tires after two highway fatalities were linked to the product. The company that imported the tires claimed it could not afford to recall and replace the tires.
NHTSA’s response was if you import a vehicle or a component, you are considered the manufacturer and are responsible for product standards. The importer is also facing lawsuits from the families of the two men who died in the accident involving the allegedly defective tires.
Counterfeiting, across all industries, is a $250 billion a year problem that costs 750,000 jobs, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy (CACP). But for all legitimate manufacturers and suppliers, it can erode more than just profits – it weakens supply chains, damages consumer confidence and undermines brand integrity.
WHAT IS COUNTERFEIT?
Any discussion of counterfeit products must begin with a definition of what a counterfeit product is. Here, too, opinions differ. Confusion and resentment reign when the term “counterfeit” is not applied accurately. When asked to define a counterfeit part, some wrongly point to knockoff parts or even to fair and competitive replacement parts.
