'Made in China' in the eyes of African businessman

A prominent African businessman in Beijing has described Chinese products to be as good as others produced in the developed world.

Stephen Ketu, general manager of Tianjin Able Imports and Export Trading and Shipping Company, says Chinese goods are of high quality, contrary to assertions in many African countries that the quality of Chinese products is substandard.

Ketu, a Ghanaian national running a successful business entity in Beijing, China, with branch offices in the cities of Tianjin and Shanghai, said over the weekend that many Africans importing goods from China are not sincere about the country and its customers in Africa.

He explained that China is a business hub, producing quality goods for export to the United States, Europe, Russia, Africa and other Asian countries but of all the destinations, he noted that the African market is the only one whose consumers complain about goods from China.

Ketu said it is unfair to blame the producer when the problem is with the buyer, who compromises quality for quantity and price.

"China produces high quality goods for export to Africa, Europe, America and other Asian countries and in each case, manufacturers specify goods according to location to the importers but it's only the African importers who negotiate even further to reduce prices, like they are attending an auction sale. This results in the supplier giving them goods that match their preferred prices and in this case they go for locally-tailored goods meant for short term use," Ketu explained. "

Certain products are made for temporal use in China and an African business person who is attracted by the price goes for them, only to deprive home customers of product durability," he added.

Ketu said his 12 years in the import and export business in China has made him realize that Chinese products are of a high quality, which explains the demand from the United States and Europe, adding that even the Chinese government is strict on counterfeit products and low quality goods are not allowed to be exported anywhere.

He further explained that the restriction on low quality goods has made African importers only use Guangzhou Port in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, known to be the home of business with Africa.

"Other ports are so strict that they inspect the goods to ascertain their quality before they are allowed to be shipped out," Ketu said.

Recently, Deputy Director of the Department of West Asian and African Affairs at the China's Ministry of Commerce, Chen Hao, said complaints of substandard goods reported from businesses in Africa can be solved if the importers cease to compromise quality for quantity and price.

Chen said African countries complaining of counterfeit products from China should institute measures to combat the influx of such goods if their citizens are to be provided with quality and genuine products.

He said the Chinese government has introduced measures to reduce the production and sale of low quality goods in China.

Chen disclosed that the Chinese government called for stakeholders meetings in 2012 and 2013 involving the Ministry of Commerce, the Bureau of Quality Inspection, local governments and custom administrations to carry out a campaign to crack down on exports of illegal and counterfeit products to Africa.

He said the Chinese government is carrying out campaigns to crackdown on trade in substandard goods and has since embarked on a zero tolerance policy towards low quality products in the country.