A survey shows that overseas business people know the names of many Chinese companies, but are unlikely to know the names of the brands they produce.

Of the 3,104 Chinese companies listed in the survey conducted by China Brand Research Institute, only 143 produce commodities under their own brand names, according to Zheng Xueqin, a researcher with the institute.

The three most recognized Chinese commodity brands were Glanz, a brand name for white goods, the Younger apparel brand, and Anxi Tieguanyin, an oolong tea produced in Anxi in southeast China's Fujian Province.

The reason that Chinese brands are not well-known overseas is that many Chinese companies are original equipment manufacturers (OEM), said Zheng.

OEM refers to companies that make products for others to repackage and sell. OEM products are used in many industries, and are particularly common in electronics.
"Chinese enterprises have been very successful in expanding business overseas by providing OEM services, but those services often only generate meager profits," said Zheng.

The survey was conducted among 2,629 business people from more than 40 countries and regions attending China Export Commodity Fair, a biannual foreign trade event held in spring and autumn in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province.

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