Hikvision False 'Made In USA', Sold to US Government
A China State Owned Company, Hikvision products are listed as "Made In United States of America" and for sale to US government agencies, despite Hikvision products being made in China and not eligible for such listing.
These listings are from the US General Services Administration (GSA) that facilitates ~$66 billion in US government purchases annually. Listed on "GSA Schedules", with pre-negotiated pricing and delivery terms, this allows government employees to purchase items without the need for additional approvals, tests, etc., making GSA listings a significant advantage for manufacturers.
1,400+ Hikvision Results on GSA
A search for "Hikvision" on the GSA Advantage website returned 1,400+ results, ranging from ~$3.00 brackets to ~$11,000 NVRs:
Hikvision products are classified as "Made In: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA".
China Made Products Not Allowed On GSA
China made products, like Hikvision, are not allowed on the GSA. Products listed on GSA must meet Trade Agreements Act (TAA) specifications, which state that products must be manufactured, or "substantially transformed" in a designated country, which excludes China. Hikvision products are made in their China factory [link no longer available] and only warehoused in the USA.
Distributors Selling Hikvision Via GSA
Two distributors list Hikvision products on the GSA, A&T Networks, and Global Data Center. We spoke with representatives of each company, asking them about Hikvision's listings.
An A&T Networks representative said Hikvision products were in fact made in the US when we asked him about this specifically, citing information he claimed was provided by Hikvision. The representative additionally said a senior person would follow up with us, which we have not yet received a response.
A Global Data Center representative claimed no responsibility for the listing, saying we would need to speak to the manufacturer, Hikvision. Later, Global Data Center followed up saying they were in communication with Hikvision and would have "inadvertent incorrect information rectified", though would not specify what information, if any, they believed to be incorrect.
Distributor Responsibility
A GSA Vendor Support Center page calls out TAA compliance reporting accuracy as a responsibility of the vendor:
Remember that it is the responsibility of each Schedule vendor to ensure that product information is accurately incorporated into the contract and displayed on GSA Advantage!® throughout the life of the contract.
However, many GSA vendors deal with a large number of products, and rely primarily on information provided to them by manufacturers. It is common for GSA vendors to simply take electronic data/catalogs from a manufacturer and format that for uploading to GSA without ever verifying the data. This would not absolve vendors that are notified of listing inaccuracies, as A&T Networks and Global Data Center have been notified by IPVM, from failing to update their listings. Distributors notified of errors or omissions have a responsibility to contact manufacturers to verify data, or else they would be in violation of their responsibilities.
No Response From Hikvision
Hikvision did not respond to our request for comment nor our request to support correcting the information listed on the GSA.
Hikvision Responsible For Resolution
Both distributors claimed that information for listed products is provided to them by outside sources, and that they bear no responsibility for incorrect information, even when core aspects of GSA requirements are violated. This may be technically correct, though now that the GSA vendors, and Hikvision, have been notified they share a responsibility to correct the listings. Hikvision is ultimately responsible for how their products are designated, and what information is provided, and needs to take immediate action to correct information in the GSA system.
UPDATE - GSA Response
Hikvision manufactured products have now been removed from the US GSA.