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Toy Industry Defends Chinese Imports

Senator Calls for Creation of "Import Czar"

By Lisa Wade McCormick
ConsumerAffairs.com

July 2, 2007

• $30 Million Settlement in Thomas & Friends Suit • Beware of Lead in Holiday Decorations • Lead Poisoning Hazard in Sesame Street Toy Medical Kits • Lead, Arsenic Found in Popular Toys • Toy Dangers Not Confined To Lead • New Jersey Finds Recalled Toys In Nine Stores • Retailers Remove Lead-Tainted Jewelry after NY Probe • Experts Offer Toy-Buying Safety Tips • California Sues 20 Toy Companies • Kmart Removes Lead-Encrusted 'Lead-Free' Jewelry • 10 Worst Toys Of 2007 • More Lead-Laden Toys Recalled • eBay: Where Recalled Items Live Forever • Home Lead Test Kits Unreliable, Feds Warn • Magazine Finds Lead in Maxi Blocks • California Bans Plastic-Softening Chemical in Toys • Noxious Tile Sealer Stayed on Home Depot Shelves • Latest Recalls Include Toy Tools from Target, More Thomas Trains • Mattel, Not China, To Blame For Toy Recall, Company Admits • Lead Paint Leads to Another Big Mattel Recall • Toy Industry Defends Chinese Imports • U.S. Companies Look More Closely At Chinese Products • 96% of This Year's Recalled Toys Came From China • Senator Wants Congressional Hearing on Chinese Toy Imports • Thomas & Friends Recall • More Toy Recalls --- • Consumer Safety Agency In Limbo --- • Recall Notices

As consumer concerns about the safety of Chinese imports grow, the president of the Toy Industry Association (TIA) says he's not surprised by a ConsumerAffairs.com analysis that revealed most of the toys recalled this year came from China.

“Eighty percent or more of the three billion toys sold each year come from China,” said TIA’s President Carter Keithley. “Given that amount, it’s not surprising (so many recalled) toys are from China. It’s the law of averages.

But he added: “We never like to see a recall, particularly ones that involve something like lead paint in a toy. That has been forbidden for decades. The reality is the countries don’t make the toys — companies make them. And they’re the ones that are responsible.”

Keithley said his industry was “very unhappy” about RC2 Corporation’s recent recall of 1.5 million “Thomas and Friends” wooden train sets that contained lead paint.

RC2 recalled the wooden train sets -- made in China --on June 13.

“That was a particularly big recall and for those products to have contained lead paint is just something that should not have happened.

“This was an unfortunate occurrence,” Keithley said, adding RC2 is not a member of TIA. That association is considered the voice of the U.S. toy industry. “We’d like to find out more about what happened to see if there are any gaps of our safety system.”

Keithley said our investigation is troubling because it contributes to the growing, negative feelings consumers have about products made in China. That country has come under fire in recent weeks for exporting tainted ingredients used in pet food, toothpastes that contain the chemical diethylene glycol, and shoddy tires.

But Keithley said members of his association have trusted toys made in China for years.

“Our industry has sourced toys from China for the past couple of decades—since the 80’s. If we, over the last couple of decades, had not been able to rely on the safety of toys from China, we would not be sourcing them from China. These are products for our children.”

Keithley also said he does not --in spite of our findings -- believe the U.S. should ban toys made in China.

“Not at all. We are not anywhere near thinking that we should ban toys made in China.”

He said his industry works with Chinese companies to make sure they understand -- and meet -- current U.S. safety standards.

“For the past 11 years, we have done toy safety standard seminars in China,” Keithley said, adding TIA is holding a seminar next month in China. “This is an industry sponsored seminar -- with participation from the Consumer Product Safety Commission -- to let (Chinese) companies know what measures they need to take to meet our standards.”

Keithley also said consumers shouldn’t panic about the all the recalls of toys made in China or other countries.

“There’s a tendency to overlook that the recall system is part of the safety net designed to insure that toys are safe. And I can tell you that the system of assuring the safety (of toys) is robust.”

Heightened Scrutiny

A number of U.S. businesses that use Chinese products and materials have reportedly stepped up testing of their imports.

General Mills, Kellogg and Toys “R” Us have increased their inspections, in the wake of recalls of tainted dog food, toothpaste and tires, according to The New York Times. The newspaper says these inspections included more unannounced visits to Chinese manufacturing plants.

Food makers are said to be testing for potential contaminants not on the inspection list a few months ago. Toys “R” Us has hired two senior executives, creating new positions to oversee procurement and product safety, mainly for goods made in China.

Congress Reacts

U.S. companies are feeling the heat, along with China, over these new safety concerns. Some members of Congress have accused companies of compromising quality in order to cut costs and increase profits.

The latest political heat is coming from Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), who is calling for the creation of a federal import czar, saying unexacting inspections and a bureaucratic morass are to blame for the problems.

"Neither the Chinese or American government is doing their job," he told The Washington Post. Schumer said the Bush administration had cut funds for the regulatory agencies that are responsible for ensuring food and product safety.

"The Chinese system of regulations is where we were in 1890," Schumer said. Rigorous inspections at the U.S. border must make up for any weakness in foreign regulations, Schumer contended.

Last week, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee – whose jurisdiction includes product recalls – requested Senate action in analyzing the underlying concerns of toy safety, China’s role and what can be done to safeguard children from potentially harmful products.

Agencies Adrift

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says budget cuts have reduced the number of inspectors at ports of entry. The agency says it is able to inspects less than one percent of imports.

With only two commissioners, the agency is not able to vote on civil penalties or enact new safety regulations.

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