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U.S. is Big Exporter of Dangerous Toys

Dangerous exports nearly double since 2002

September 1, 2007

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China has been the scapegoat for recent recalls of dangerous children's products, but U.S. companies are in no position to be pointing fingers, the Washington Post reports.

American companies notified the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) 97 times last year that they were planning to export goods that did not meet U.S. safety regulations. That's up from 57 such notifications in 2002, the Post reported.

Dangerous exports included pacifiers, toys, cigarette lighters, fireworks, clothing, chemicals and carpets. Shipments went to Belgium, Ireland, New Zealand, Colombia, the Czech Republic and the Philippines, the CPSC said.

There's little the CPSC can do about the practice. By law, it is limited to notifying the countries to which the dangerous goods are being sent.

Companies are required to notify the CPSC if they are exporting products that have been recalled because of safety defects but have not yet reached the retail market. The CPSC is powerless to stop the exports.

"We are just following the mandate of Congress," CPSC spokesman Scott Wolfson told the Post.

Safety advocates say the practice weakens the United States' ability to take a hard line with other countries.

"A 'do as I say, not as I do' policy is hard to sell," CPSC commissioner Thomas H. Moore told the Post.

Moore has proposed that Congress give the CPSC more authority over imports. Both Congress and the White House are considering various measures intended to at least make it look as though safety efforts are being stepped up.

Some Congressional proposals have included suspending imports from China.

China fights back

China, meanwhile, has been stepping up inspection efforts -- not only of products it exports to the U.S. but also of products it receives from the U.S.

Chinese officials said Friday they had found microscopic worms in wooden packaging from the United States and uncovered substandard U.S. vitamin pills and fish oil for children.

China's quality watchdog agency has introduced what the Xinhua news agency called a "landmark recall system" for unsafe food products and toys to improve product safety.

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