A lot of Saudi consumers wonder why the Chinese made products are dominating the market. Whether clothes, shoes and or other consumer goods, they all have the “Made in China” labels.

The Chinese goods are supposed to be cheaper than those made by other countries, however, they are surprised when they purchase a highly priced product of an American or European brand that bears the “Made in China” label. Is it a counterfeit product or is it commercial fraud, they ask. However, many consumers believe that the Chinese labels on such Western products should not raise doubts about their genuineness. This is because many international companies have their own factories in China where labor is cheap.

"Many American and European companies tend to open factories in developing countries like China, Indonesia and other Asian countries which have cheap labor. In addition, the Western companies in their own countries face challenges like protecting the environment and reducing industrial pollution," Ahmed Al-Farouqi, a Saudi investor told Arab News. "Moreover, it is the responsibility of the Western companies to export raw materials to their factories in China or wherever they exist. That's how some of the Western products made in China are of high quality and meet the required international criteria and standards," he added.

Al-Farouki did not deny the existence of some Arab brokers in China. "They play a big role in facilitating the import of some counterfeit products at lower prices into the Kingdom and sell them as global products."

Arab News tried to contact the commercial officers at the Chinese Embassy in Riyadh but there was no response.

Ali Sheikh, a Saudi employee in the private sector, says: "As a consumer, I'm not worried about “Made in China” products at high prices, as many international companies have factories in China due to its cheap labor. But there are some products claimed to be made in Japan like electronic devices, which fall within the scope of commercial fraud," Sheikh added.

Some vendors are specialized in selling counterfeit products. They sell watches of Swiss brands, which are not genuine. But the vendors are still in this business because they know consumers are in the habit of buying fake products as they don't have money to buy genuine products that are expensive.

"If anyone wants to buy a genuine watch of a reputable brand, then he must go to one of its authorized agents. But when they come to us, we know they want to buy a cheaper, counterfeit watch of a reputable brand. That's why we are in business," a vendor in downtown Jeddah said.

Counterfeiting is rampant in the market, especially in clothes and shoes. There are many trousers and shirts of Western brands made in China. It is common knowledge that most of the companies that manufacture these products are Italian, American or other Western companies.

"Many Saudi traders import their goods from China at cheap prices and sell them in the Kingdom at high prices," Mohammad Saeed, a dealer in clothes said. "Sixty percent of goods are made in China, while 80 percent of the goods made in China are in the clothing sector," he added.