Chinese knockoffs hurting Senegal's merchants

Flooded with cheap Chinese clothes and other consumer goods, Senegal's merchants say that even quality goods are taking a hit from cheap imitation Chinese products. Chinese goods have been flooding Senegal in recent years, pushing out locally produced products. Chinese merchants have also displaced Senegalese merchants, according to Senegalese shopkeepers.

Now Chinese products are imitating higher quality imports and local craft goods, causing buyers to dispute whether goods are genuine, or refusing to pay higher prices. The market in general is becoming saturated due to the Chinese floods of imports.

Senegalese peddlers, also known for their international presence, are calling for import embargoes and tariffs; others want the Chinese deported. They say that Senegalese manufacture is too fragile and will be crushed by the cheap imported Chinese goods.

China and Senegal: sweethearts hook up

They've known each other for about three years. "Mais c’est le grand amour" between China and Senegal. Thus on Saint Valentine's Day it is appropriate that the president of the Republic of China, Hu Jintao, rendezvoused with Abdoulaye Wade, the president of Senegal. According to the L'Observateur the visit marked the growing relationship between the two since Senegal recognized communist China only three years ago. China suspended diplomatic relations with Senegal in 1996 when Senegal had the audacity to formally recognize the democratic Chinese government of Taiwan. Then in 2005, under Wade, Senegal switched to recognizing the communist regime over the democratic, furthering the communists' efforts to freeze the democratic Chinese out of international, and United Nations, recognition... Now the relationship has flowered into "a great love" according to the news reports of Hu's Valentine's Day visit to Dakar... That great love was testified according to sources from both countries by the extensive couplings expected in areas such as the development of Senegal's airlines and other transportation systems, as well as exploitation of hard-to-develop oil reserves in Casamance... The Chinese are already involved in major infrastructure projects in Senegal, particularly in Touba, as we have posted here often. The oil exploitation move is interesting, but not surprising considering China's clear program of developing its own oil sources... Will this "great love" last? One wonders, considering the cultural differences of the pair, especially the religious. Senegal is a land of great faith and the Muslim morality of its people is one of its greatest strengths. China is atheist. One wonders if the relationship is really just one of convenience, or even meretricious...

Public concern raised regarding "pots of wine" (bribes) in Senegal

An article in today's SudQuotidien expressed public concern over Senegal's drop on the 2008 "corruption index" produced by Transparency International. Although Senegal is not among the most corrupt on the index, its position fell considerably on the 2008 index...

Construction companies and public works of major exporting countries in Senegal "are identified as most likely to pay bribes to the authorities of host countries," according to the 2008 corruption index. One way to understand the increase in "pots-de-vin" (bribes) is the source of bribes. Transparency International also indexed the countries with the companies most likely to offer bribes. The worst, in order, were Russia, China, Mexico and India.

Senegal does significant business with both China and India. China is engaged in major infrastructure projects, especially around Touba. As we have noted before, India's trade with Senegal has skyrocked in the last five years to lead all others.

The solution Transparency International recommends is, naturally, transparency. Major bidding processes and results should be made public. It cited recent mining deals as an example.

The SudQuotidien article calls increasing corruption a "trap." Rightly so. The well known corrolary to the corruption index is the poverty index--the more corruption, the less likely that a country will develop economically.