Sep 11, 2007

China to Ban Lead Paint in ToysBy Christopher ConkeyOnline.WSJ.com

Responding to a public uproar over a rash of recalls, U.S. and Chinese regulators moved to ban the use of lead paint in toys and promised changes to the way Chinese imports to the U.S. are scrutinized for safety compliance.

But neither government offered many details about how such a ban would be enforced. China’s local governments often disregard national directives that might result in losses of tax revenue and jobs.

Consumer and safety groups yesterday praised the agreements as a good first step but said follow-through and enforcement would be key.

“It’s not clear what the impact of these new measures will be on toys that are going to be purchased for the holidays,” said Janell Mayo Duncan, senior counsel at Consumers Union. “As we move forward, we need to be assured that there’s monitoring going on and that these promises are being kept.”

The most concrete aspect of the agreement, signed yesterday by officials of the Consumer Product Safety Commission and China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, or AQSIQ, is the prohibition on using lead paint in toys.

U.S. law has long prevented manufacturers from using the toxic metal in children’s toys, but many Chinese suppliers have either ignored the prohibition or followed looser standards. That has led to a wave of recalls of lead-tainted toys sold in the U.S. this year.

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