MELBOURNE, Australia, June 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- SSAB has taken decisive action against two Indian companies selling counterfeit steel. The unauthorised products, labelled with the Hardox^® trademark, exhibited severe quality issues, posing risks to buyers who believed they were purchasing genuine Hardox^® wear plate.

Following a recent investigation and lawsuit in India, two companies based in the Mumbai area admitted to trademark infringement and passing off, both serious violations of SSAB's intellectual property rights. The companies not only paid exemplary damages but also faced a permanent injunction in the lawsuit and were directed to cease all use of the infringing marks. Additionally, they issued unconditional public apologies to SSAB.

Protecting customers from counterfeit products in Australia 

Only the Swedish steel manufacturer SSAB produces genuine Hardox^® wear plate, and Hardox^® wear plate is only available from SSAB and from SSAB-certified suppliers. Each month, SSAB successfully removes hundreds of website links, online marketplace advertisements and social media pages based in India and China, offering counterfeit products or falsely claiming to stock genuine Hardox^® wear plate for export to Australia and other parts of the world, often at very low prices.

Hardox^® wear plate is a premium, high-quality product known for its exceptional hardness and toughness. Its guaranteed properties deliver outstanding performance, making it a market leader in wear resistance—and naturally, not a low-cost option. Therefore, a simple guiding principle is that if a deal seems too good to be true, it likely involves counterfeit steel. SSAB strongly encourages buyers to purchase Hardox^® wear plate only from SSAB-certified suppliers.

Where to buy genuine Hardox^® wear plate and wear parts in Australia

SSAB maintains its own sales network. To ensure product authenticity, Hardox^® wear plate should only be purchased through SSAB's own local stocks in Australia, SSAB's mills and through our authorised Hardox^® Wearparts Centers in the Pacific region. https://www.hardoxwearparts.com/find-center/

Reporting counterfeit steel

At SSAB, we are committed to ensuring that customers receive only high-quality, genuine Hardox® wear plate they can trust. If you encounter branded steel that you suspect is not genuine Hardox® wear plate, we urge you to contact your local SSAB sales team immediately.

The risks of buying from unauthorized sources

Buying from unauthorised sources may result in:

• Operational setbacks – Counterfeit steel often has lower quality and therefore lower durability, leading to frequent repairs, replacements and increased maintenance costs.
• Health and safety risks – Inferior materials may compromise structural integrity, increasing the risk of failures and accidents.
• Legal repercussions – The use of counterfeit steel could lead to litigation, fines or other regulatory consequences.
• Environmental impact – Counterfeit production methods often neglect sustainability standards, leading to increased contamination and waste.

SSAB is a Nordic and US-based steel company that builds a stronger, lighter and more sustainable world through value added steel products and services. Working with our partners, SSAB has developed SSAB Fossil-free™ steel and plans to reinvent the value chain from the mine to the end customer, largely eliminating carbon dioxide emissions from our own operations. SSAB Zero™, a largely carbon emission-free steel based on recycled steel, further strengthens SSAB's leadership position and our comprehensive, sustainable offering independent of the raw material. SSAB has employees in over 50 countries and production facilities in Sweden, Finland and the US. SSAB is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and has a secondary listing on Nasdaq Helsinki. Join us on our journey! www.ssab.com, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube.