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Feds' Import Safety Efforts Flawed, Report Says

Interagency task force faults feds for poor coordination

By Mark Huffman
ConsumerAffairs.com

September 11, 2007

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It may seem obvious; after a string of product recalls of goods from other countries, most notably China, the U.S. import inspection system might seem a little suspect. And now a report by a special federal panel confirms it, chiding federal agencies to do a better job of coordinating oversight.

The blue ribbon panel, hastily formed in July after Mattel’s huge recall of Chinese-made toys, concludes the present government safety system is not keeping pace with the increase in foreign-made products flowing into the U.S.

The report came on the same day that U.S. and Chinese regulators held a widely-publicized ceremony at the National Press Club, where they signed a joint statement pledging to crack down on lead paint.

It also coincided with a study by Canadian researchers, who found that although China and lead paint are the current foci of toy safety issues, design errors by U.S. toy companies are to blame for most toy safety problems.

Imports double

In its findings, the Interagency Working Group on Import Safety pointed to the huge increase of imports, whose value has doubled in recent years to $2.2 trillion. The value of Chinese imports alone is expected to surge to $341 billion in 2007, up nearly 25 percent.

But with the increase in imports, there has been no corresponding increase in inspections.

The agency found that the Food and Drug Administration inspects less than one percent of the items under its review. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), wracked by internal turmoil and chronic under-staffing, has fewer than 100 inspectors and investigators at its disposal.

While the preliminary report, submitted to the White House, is long on identifying the problem, critics in Congress say it’s short on solutions. Some members of Congress, who support legislation creating one “super agency” to monitor product safety, said they were disappointed the report declined to recommend that action.

A matter of money?

Critics also voice concerns that agency budgets simply aren’t large enough to meet the challenge of inspecting the massive flow of imports.

The panel’s report did not address budgetary issues, though panel member Michael Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services, tells the Washington Post that some parts of the panel’s recommendations will require additional resources

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