Prokiwi International Ltd., a Christchurch-based Company, has been asked to pay a fine of $48,000 for selling Chinese-made products as being produced in New Zealand.

A total of 17 charges were imposed against the Company under the Fair Trading Act. The Company was selling such mislabeled skin care products like soaps, lotions, and lip balms to its customers, especially tourists. A total of 250 outlets were selling these products countrywide.

The products were put into the packages, which had pictures of Aoraki-Mt Cook, kiwi fruits, and a merino ram. The products were also labeled with the word, New Zealand, Aotearoa.

James Donkin, a lawyer for the Commerce Commission said that Prokiwi didn't use corrective measures for labeling its products, even after it was given a warning by the commission.

Some old stocks that were lying in the market and couldn't be sold because of the recession are now being sold with a label "Made in China", which is difficult to read.

As per Judge Moran, such an act is shameful and has smeared the Company's reputation.

He said, "It was a deliberate deception to dupe overseas tourists who have English as a second language".

The Company is seriously looking into this problem and is seeking legal help to sort it out as early as possible.