Brother Faces Brand Crisis as Ninestar’s Fake Cartridges Continue to Flood U.S. Market in 2025.

Brother’s Brand Under Siege as U.S. Market Flooded with Banned Ninestar “Compatible” Cartridges. (see below)
The American printer supplies market is now flooded with counterfeit and unauthorized “Brother-compatible” cartridges from Ninestar Technology, a Chinese manufacturer banned from the United States under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). Despite being placed on the U.S. government’s restricted entity list in 2023 for alleged forced labor ties, Ninestar continues to promote and distribute its products — including LC501/501XL, LC504/504XL, LC506/506XL/506XXL, and TN635/637 toner models — through underground and gray-market channels.

These imitation cartridges are being marketed using Brother’s model numbers and branding cues, deceiving distributors and consumers while damaging the reputation of Brother Industries, a legitimate Japanese manufacturer. The problem has become so widespread that even established resellers are reportedly being misled into handling banned stock, often disguised as “compatible” or “private-label” alternatives.

Trade and ethics experts say this situation highlights a serious enforcement gap. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has the authority — and responsibility — to block and seize all Ninestar-linked imports, yet counterfeit shipments continue to enter ports and online marketplaces.

Allowing a blacklisted company to flood the market not only undermines federal human rights laws but also threatens fair competition and consumer safety. It’s time for U.S. Customs to step up enforcement, trace distribution networks, and hold importers accountable. Every Ninestar cartridge that slips through is a blow to legal trade, ethical manufacturing, and Brother’s hard-earned brand integrity.
This is a recent e-flyer that Ninestar circulated just last week