JCS Hi-Torque tackles growing counterfeit goods threat in Middle East

“If you’re serious about investing and selling into the Saudi Arabia and the UAE, make sure you have trademarks registered there from the get-go,” warns Tom Blower. He’s the sales & marketing manager for JCS Hi-Torque, a specialist British manufacturer of high-performance worm drive hose clips, with a heritage dating back to 1768. But now the company’s experience, heritage and brand is being widely counterfeited in some regions.

“Counterfeiting has been a real and damaging issue for our business, particularly in the Middle East, with Saudi Arabia standing out as a significant problem market,” Blower says. He believes that part of the problem is that: “As we are generally seen as the number one brand in these countries we always will have a target on our back.”

British brand becomes a target for counterfeiting

The company’s Hi-Grip zinc plated range is its number one product in the region – and it’s this one which Blower says has been copied the most.

JCS manufactures hose clips and clamps used to secure hoses to fittings and connections across a boat’s plumbing and mechanical systems. Its products are used in engine cooling, bilge and drainage systems, freshwater plumbing, fuel systems and other fluid-handling applications. The range includes the zinc-plated Hi-Grip clips, as well as stainless-steel versions.

“The problems started years ago and it was mainly centred around companies copying our retail box branding (blue and white boxes). At the start they would use their own names and brands.”

However, the problem of counterfeit goods has intensified.

“We come across similarities in branding pretty regularly – mainly the box design – but it’s been pretty rare to find someone making clips and claiming to be us. This has only happened in the last two to three years.”

The difference is inside the box: poor craftsmanship

Now both branding and product is being counterfeited. The brand copies have only one or two subtle differences on the packaging, Blower says. But the products’ quality inside the packaging don’t have subtle differences. They have vast ones.

Although relatively small and inexpensive components, hose clips are important because they maintain the seal and clamping force at a hose connection. Failure can lead to leaks of water, fuel, coolant or other fluids, while inadequate clamping performance can cause a hose to loosen or separate under pressure or vibration. This makes the quality, material, corrosion resistance and torque performance of the clip important, particularly in marine environments where saltwater and continual vibration can place additional demands on the component.

Blower says that the counterfeit clips are easily identifiable to his team due to the poor craftsmanship.

“They look and feel very different, ours are smooth and theirs have sharp edges. The forming of the screw heads are always a big give away as well. We make ours in house and have set a high level for pass out in inspection.

“It’s also very noticeable when you actually tighten/loosen the screws; they are very stiff and don’t have much free running Torque.”

The counterfeit packaging includes false claims that the clips were manufactured in England – despite clearly not being genuine JCS products. Details of the JCS’ genuine products – like its hose clips – can be found on its website.

A problem for JCS – and its resellers

Blower says that the impact has been “direct and tangible”. Resellers in the region have seen a loss of turnover.

JCS initially identified counterfeit goods being sold at prices comparable with those charged by its authorised resellers, making it difficult for customers to distinguish the products from genuine equipment. As customers became more aware of the counterfeit products’ performance they returned to trusted suppliers, but the counterfeiters significantly reduced their prices in an apparent attempt to gain market share.

“Their customers were unknowingly purchasing these fake JCS clips believing them to be the genuine article.

“This not only cost our resellers sales, but also put our reputation at risk – since any performance issues or failures with the counterfeit clips would reflect on the JCS name, even though we had no involvement in manufacturing them.”

JCS works via a couple of major importers, and they distribute to retailers. The importers have also been impacted. “They have found that pricing has become a lot more competitive due to others selling what they think are ‘genuine JCS clips’ but in fact are not.

“They have lost sales – as well as margins – because of this. This then has a knock-on effect of the deals we do with them and how regularly they purchase from us,” explains Blower.

The cost of protecting a brand

This situation has meant that JCS has been forced to trademark not only its company name and brands, but also its box designs. Blower says it’s all come “at significant cost”. But it’s worth it in order to protect the company against this kind of infringement. Without official trademarks in these regions, nothing can be done.

He describes the process as “slow and expensive”. Trademarks need to be registered in multiple countries/regions through the Gulf markets, but it’s a worthwhile long-term investment, he says.

“We have trademarked our company name, our brand names and our box designs in local markets now which gives us a lot more legal standing in the Middle East to take action on shutting these products down, but it’s still not an easy task.

“We have also tried to educate the markets that there are counterfeits around so to be careful where they buy from, which has helped.”

Blower says he’s pushing the wider market to be cautious of “too good to be true” offers and to stick to buying through known authorised resellers.

The company also considered changing packaging “but in the end we deemed it a pointless task as the counterfeiters would no doubt just copy that as well.

“We also sell into this part of the world by a 40ft container’s worth, so our importers have millions of clips in stock. It would have also taken a long time to flush the old boxes out of the market.”

Tracing the counterfeits back to source

Enforcing its intellectual property rights in these markets is complicated and requires multiple legal and regulatory steps. Trademark protection must first be established locally before action can be taken, after which the company can work with authorities including police and trading standards. Because the counterfeit goods are imported, tracing them back through the supply chain and preventing future shipments from entering the market can be particularly difficult.

Counterfeit goods have primarily been identified by the company’s local partners at retail level and reported back. JCS is attempting to trace the products to their source, with the aim of working with local authorities to prevent counterfeit goods from being cleared through customs and entering the market. It’s also looking at authentication processes involving OEMs, approved resellers and registered trademark owners to help customers distinguish genuine products from counterfeits.

Blower is keen to stress that those interested in high-performance British-made hose clips or heavy-duty clamps in affected areas should reach out to him via email to find their local distributor. “We are also always on the lookout for new distributors / stockists as well so if you would like more information or prices please do let me know,” he says.

For JCS, the lesson from Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf markets is straightforward: intellectual property protection needs to be established before a brand becomes a target, rather than after counterfeit products appear. For Blower, that means trademarks, trusted distribution and helping customers recognise where genuine JCS products come from are now part of the cost of doing business. However, having more than a 20-year presence in Saudi Arabia has helped it build customer familiarity with its products, making it easier for buyers to identify counterfeit equipment.

Saudi Arabia has a documented counterfeit automotive-parts problem

JCS’s experience is part of a wider counterfeiting challenge facing manufacturers selling technical products into the Gulf. Saudi authorities have previously seized large quantities of counterfeit automotive components, while brand owners including Hyundai Mobis are now working directly with Saudi Customs and the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property on identifying counterfeit goods and packaging.

Saudi customs has a formal process for suspected counterfeit consignments. Customs inspectors can flag a shipment, samples are examined by a counterfeit-goods committee, and confirmed counterfeits can be referred to the Ministry of Commerce and then to customs authorities for enforcement action.

Brand owners working with Saudi Customs on counterfeit parts

Hyundai Mobis Middle East (the parts and service” arm of arm of Hyundai Motor Group) took part in Brand Owner’s Protection Group training in Dammam / Al Khobar involving Saudi Customs and the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property earlier this year. The training specifically covered identifying counterfeit parts, distinguishing genuine from non-genuine products, box labels and packaging.

UAE tackles substantial issue

The UAE also has a substantial counterfeit problem. The UAE Ministry of Economy says its commercial-fraud legislation specifically prohibits the import, manufacture, sale, storage, transport and promotion of counterfeit products. Dubai Customs has a dedicated IPR department dealing with counterfeit goods. It maintains a database of registered trademarks and information supplied by manufacturers about how to distinguish genuine products from counterfeit ones, and provides support in customs cases.

Counterfeiting across marine industry

Counterfeiting is not just limited to the regions mentioned. And, it can create operational and safety risks especially with marine products.

In April 2026, UKHO issued a guide warning about counterfeit Admiralty nautical charts and publications in circulation (with hand-drawn features on them). It says the counterfeit products have not undergone the checking procedures applied to official products and can pose a safety risk to vessels, crews and cargo.

In July 2025, a Suzuki Marine USA sales notice said that an increasing amount of aftermarket and fake parts are being offered for sale online under the guise of authentic OEM goods. Despite having a similar appearance, these parts are not constructed to Suzuki’s strict standards. Boat Max Online warned of problems with engine performance, risks to safety on the water, and manufacturer guarantees being void.

The experience of JCS Hi-Torque highlights a wider challenge for manufacturers selling into international markets: protecting a brand does not end with making a product to the right specification. From counterfeit automotive components in Saudi Arabia to fake marine equipment and certification appearing in markets around the world, the problem can extend through packaging, distribution and even claims of compliance. For manufacturers, that makes trademark protection, supply-chain control and trusted distribution increasingly important – not only to protect sales, but to ensure that customers know the product they are buying will perform as expected.