DIY Trade News November 2013
16
NEWS
SPOTLIGHT
FEATURE
Industry warned
against fraudulent
imports
The SA Paint Manufacturing
Association (SAPMA) has
warned its members to be
extra cautious when purchasing
overseas-sourced raw materials
for paint production to avoid
falling victim to fraud.
Deryck Spence, executive director of SAPMA, says the association has
in recent months learnt of at least three incidents where members’ imports
contained unexpected surprises. “In the first incident, SAPMA members
who were importing raw materials from Egypt were provided with quality
samples, but woefully sub-standard shipments arrived after orders had been
placed. The orders totalled millions of Rands and members stood to make
devastating losses. The association raised the matter with the local Egyptian
Trade and Industry department and then also with the Egyptian Embassy in
South Africa, and managed to get compensation for its members.
Then, in the second instance, a SAPMA member ordered titanium tri-oxide
from a Chinese supplier. The first container to arrive in South Africa was
filled with the correct raw material, but the second contained sea sand. No
compensation could be obtained in this case.
“Finally, another member also nearly became a victim of a Chinese export
scam. Our member ordered a container load of 210-litre drums of solvent, but
the drums that arrived in the container that reached South Africa were filled
with sea water. In this case, fortunately, the member had bought the shipment
on a Letter of Credit basis and managed to instruct the bank involved to stop
payment,” added Spence.
SAPMA has warned its members that there could be nasty surprises in the containers supposed
to carry imported raw materials for paint production
For more info...
Tel: 011-455-2503
Web: www.sapma.org.za