Ghana’s traditional fabric, known for its wide range of colorful prints, has made it to international fashion shows with celebrities like American pop singer Beyonce donning them. But back in Ghana the textile industry is struggling under the weight of cheap fake imitations imported to the West African country from China, Al Jazeera reported.

Cheap copies of the Ghanaian fabric has flooded local markets making it difficult for local textile manufacturers, like Akosombo Textile in the capital Accra, to make a profit from their designs.

“We have a situation where unidentified people take the brand logo of the local manufacturers, send it outside, print it and then they smuggle it into the country,” John Amoah, assistant brand protection manager at Akosombo Textiles, told DW.

Customers who go seeking a bargain at the local open air markets are easily duped by the fake labels thinking they are buying original material at a cheaper price.

Al Jazeera reported that local manufactures are now only able to produce a quarter of what they used to produce five year ago. The influx of cheap fakes has forced a number of local manufacturers out of business.

“W don’t mind cheap textiles coming into Ghana and to the markets in West Africa. But we object very strongly when people are copying on our brands, putting stickers saying ‘made in Ghana’ when we know very well they are not. Also copying our designs, which is an investment we’ve made,” Steve Dutton of Akosombo Textiles told Al Jazeera.