International. Refrigerant manufacturer DuPont announced the seizure of 300 cylinders of counterfeit R134a in Hangzhou Province, China.
Hangzhou Sporlan Heating and Refrigeration was identified as a potential counterfeiter and following recommendations from another unnamed refrigerant manufacturer.
The raid on the Hangzhou Sporlan facility was carried out by local law enforcement authorities and the counterfeit cylinders and containers were seized. The investigation confirmed that these were counterfeit refrigerant cylinders bearing the Trademarks of DuPont and Suva, as well as brands of another large manufacturer.
DuPont has not disclosed whether the cylinders actually contained R134a, a low-quality gas or a mixture of other gases, but DuPont Refrigerants global business manager Greg Rubin said, "Counterfeit refrigerants pose a danger to the market, in terms of potential environmental safety issues and the possibility of equipment failure. In addition, counterfeit refrigerants may include CFCs and HCFCs in containers marked as HFCs that raise an illegal import issue and may be in violation of international treaties, such as the Montreal Protocol."
