The widespread counterfeiting of Japanese products in China is hurting the majority of Japanese firms operating in the country, according to survey results released Friday by the Japan External Trade Organization.
According to a survey of 672 firms conducted in November by JETRO's Beijing office, 54 percent of respondents said counterfeit products had damaged their trade.
The firms said that more than 90 percent of the 1,300 motorcycle models with engine capacities of 125cc or less sold last year in China were copies of Japanese models.
Twenty-two companies, most of which were manufacturers of electronic products and machinery, said they suffered to the tune of more than 1 billion yen annually due to counterfeit products.
China, which entered the World Trade Organization on Tuesday, has pledged to crack down on producers of fake goods.
But JETRO is concerned that lenient measures to combat the problem may lead to an increase in counterfeit products amid intensified competition within the consumer goods market.
According to the report, 50 percent of survey respondents said the problem has got worse this year, while 60 percent said they are unhappy with countermeasures adopted by both Beijing and Tokyo.