BEIJING, March 24 (UPI) -- The Italian Trade Commission has identified 60 brands of supposed Italian goods that are actually manufactured in China, an official says.
Some of the counterfeits have been sold for higher prices in China than either Chinese-made items or genuine Italian goods, Xinhua, the official government news agency, reported. They include handbags and other leather goods and bedding.
The ITC's Intellectual Property Rights Department opened a Beijing office in 2010 in an effort to go after Chinese counterfeiters. Giovanni de Sanctis of the ITC said some of the counterfeit items have Italian-flag logos or have false Italian company names and addresses.
"Such false adverting does not directly harm the image and interests of Italian enterprises, but does constitute unfair competition for enterprises in both nations," De Sanctis said.
One company, Toskany, advertised that it was established in 1928 in the Tuscany region of Italy. An investigation determined it had never been registered in Italy and sold leather goods made in Beijing.
