China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said that eight major exporting regions have been ordered to set out specific plans to crack down on the export of pirated and counterfeit products to African nations, which has the potential to harm further economic cooperation between the two sides. The Ministry is participating in a six-month campaign to combat infringements of intellectual property rights (IPR). The eight regions include Beijing and Shanghai, as well as the provinces of Jiangsu, Guangdong and Zhejiang. The move followed a pledge by eight major Chinese export associations to prevent counterfeit products being exported to Africa. Last year, bilateral trade between China and Africa rose to a record USD126.9 billion, with Chinese investment exceeding USD1 billion. Most fake products exported were discovered in the areas of textiles, medicine, electrical appliances and food. The Beijing-based magazine Africa said data from the Kenya Association of Manufacturers
showed that counterfeit products cost Kenyan businesses more than USD650 million in 2008 alone, in addition to lost taxes totaling USD250 million, with most of these commodities made in China, the China Daily reports.