Plumbing manufacturers target industry-wide counterfeiting

Plumbing manufacturers have long complained about counterfeit and knockoff products in the marketplace. Now, Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI), an industry association, wants the federal government to crack down on the problem.

What’s happening: CEO Kerry Stackpole told Homepros that PMI has enlisted the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) to conduct independent testing on counterfeit and contraband products.

• “We’ll be testing kitchen faucets, bathroom faucets, and shower heads,” Stackpole said. He expects results sometime in Q1. 
• Once that’s complete, PMI plans to ask federal agencies for better enforcement. 

Why it matters: Problematic products that cause leaks, flooding, or scalding could present contractors with a range of issues, from callbacks to lawsuits.

The big picture: In fiscal 2020, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized over 26,000 counterfeit shipments with an estimated retail value of $1.3 billion, while intellectual property theft, including counterfeiting, is estimated to cost the U.S. economy up to $600 billion annually.

Catch up quick: PMI’s Board of Directors decided about a year ago to focus on counterfeit and contraband products, Stackpole said.

• In May 2025, Moen commissioned IAPMO to conduct testing, which found that counterfeit faucets contained lead and carcinogens, while counterfeit valves failed to properly regulate pressures — details the company shared in a Congressional testimony, where it also contended that 35 million “cheap, foreign-made, off-brand” faucets had been sold between 2020 and 2024.
• As a result, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled four Chinese-made faucets sold on Amazon, for instance, because of lead concerns.

What they’re saying: PMI now aims to build upon the testing commissioned by Moen “to better understand and better identify products that are not in compliance, and just how much and what risk those contraband and counterfeit products present to the American consumer,” Stackpole noted. 

The takeaway: “For a contractor, they want to be making sure that they’re buying from a reputable either distributor or retailer, big box store, because those big box stores, as a rule, are very detailed and very thorough in their own vetting of products,” Stackpole said.

• “I think where you get into these weird scenarios,” he added, “is where all of a sudden a truck shows up at a job site and says, ‘Hey, I just happen to have 500 Moen or Kohler faucets that I didn’t need for another job. You want to grab them? I’ll give you a good deal.’” 

Of note: Contractors can check the validity of many plumbing products by using IAPMO’s Product Listing Directory and report any discovered trademark infringement. 

What we’re watching: Experts warn that counterfeiting could get worse as imposter brands leverage AI to more easily create deceptive advertising and replicate intellectual property from genuine manufacturers. 

• Stackpole noted that PMI helped support the passage of the INFORM Consumers Act in 2022, which requires online marketplaces to obtain information from certain high-volume, third-party sellers and ensure that information is clearly disclosed. 
• “I think there’s an opportunity for some new either regulation or law in this space,” he said, adding that PMI also aims to build more consumer awareness about the issues.