An Egyptian law firm has succeeded in exposing a number of counterfeit brands, in cooperation with the Egyptian supply and customs police.

The company works with the government’s intelligence team in campaigns to detect counterfeit products. The law firm’s own investigation team, detects these illegal activities while working alongside the sales representatives of their corporate clients.

The company has a large number of multinational customers, including P&G, Nestlé, Ferrero Rocher, Pandora, Samsung, HP, Polo Ralph Rollin and Rolex.

According to the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade, there are over 14,000 counterfeit brands in Egypt, most notably clothes, cosmetics, and FMCGs (fast-moving consumer goods).

Egyptian counterfeit products make up 2% of the counterfeit goods globally. The market price of these illegal goods has reached nearly 20 billion pounds annually. The largest manufacturer and exporter of counterfeit goods globally is China.

Counterfeit products are having a negative impact on the local economy, which has prompted the Egyptian government to take strict measures against this illegal activity. This includes the destruction of these counterfeit products, fining or imprisonment if the matter is repeated with the producer.

It’s important to note that Egyptian Ministerial Decree no.43/2016 on the registration of foreign factories stipulates the establishment of a register for factories and companies owning trademarks qualified to export products at the General Organization for Export and Import Control. This has contributed significantly to preventing the entry of many products that do not conform to specifications to protect international brands from counterfeiting. The factory exporting from abroad must have ILAC quality certificates, in addition to the factory being registered in a town, which ensures that the imported product conforms to the standard specifications.