Cummins in the fight against counterfeiting

Beware of fake Cummins parts

That’s the message being delivered loud and clear as the illegal trade in cheap bogus parts thrives, with criminal groups exploring new avenues to expand their enterprises.

Cummins encounters and fights against counterfeiting every day. In recent months, the company has been at the forefront of an Asia Pacific campaign, warning of the dangers of using bogus parts.

Globally, Cummins has adopted a ‘zero tolerance’ to counterfeiters, pursuing manufacturers of bogus parts through the appropriate channels, culminating in litigation to break the counterfeiters’ supply chains.

In 2021, Cummins, with strong support from law enforcement authorities in China, seized 440,000 counterfeit parts in nearly 30 cities.

“Counterfeiters have become so sophisticated that their parts often look like the original, even down to their labelling, packaging, barcodes and QR codes, and many consumers are misled into thinking they are buying the genuine article,” says Kyle Miller, Cummins’ aftermarket business development manager for mining in the Asia Pacific region. 

“These products are usually reverse-engineered with poor quality materials and loose specifications. They are not designed or tested to Cummins’ exacting engineering and quality standards and this can lead to rapid wear, poor reliability, high fuel and oil consumption, excessive emissions and even engine failure. 

Counterfeit parts can also pose a serious safety risk if they are poorly produced or made of substandard materials."

"For example, fire risk or electrical failure may result from faulty components.”

He points out that the purchase and supply of counterfeit goods is illegal in Australia and New Zealand. 

While customers may not intentionally purchase counterfeited items, by supporting its trade, they are not only buying a potentially dangerous product but encouraging illegal trade that may involve serious criminal activity.

In fact, individuals or organisations suspected of importing counterfeit goods in both countries face hefty fines and serious prosecution.

Australian Border Force, Australian Federal Police, New Zealand Police, the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand, and the New Zealand Customs Service work tirelessly to investigate and prosecute copyright piracy, intellectual property (IP) crime and counterfeiting of trademarks every day.

According to Australian Border Force, there is evidence to suggest the sale of counterfeit goods is “often linked to serious criminal activity.”

“With genuine Cummins parts, customers know where and how they have been manufactured, so they can be confident in the quality, durability and reliability of the parts. In the event of failure, Cummins takes responsibility in providing warranty,” says Kyle Miller.

For more information, please visit our Counterfeit Awareness page.