300 cylinders of counterfeit R134a seized in Hangzhou

 US refrigerant manufacturer DuPont has announced the seizure of 300 cylinders of counterfeit R134a in Hangzhou province, China.

Hangzhou Sporlan Heating and Refrigeration Company Ltd was identified as a potential counterfeiter through a tip from another, unnamed, refrigerant manufacturer.

A raid of Hangzhou Sporlan facilities was performed by local law-enforcement authorities and counterfeit cylinders and packaging were seized. The investigation confirmed that these were counterfeit refrigerant cylinders carrying the trademarks DuPont and SUVA as well as trademarks of another major manufacturer.

DuPont has not revealed whether the cylinders actually contained R134a, a sub-standard gas or a blend of other gases but DuPont Refrigerants’s global business manager Greg Rubin said “Counterfeit refrigerants present a danger to the marketplace, in terms of potential safety and environmental issues, as well as the possibility of equipment failure. In addition, counterfeit refrigerants can include CFCs and HCFCs in containers marked as HFCs which raises an illegal import issue and can be in violation of international treaties, such as the Montreal Protocol.”