CPSC Reaches Product Safety Agreement with Chinese Counterpart
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission today announced an agreement with its product safety counterparts in the Chinese government aimed at stopping the use of lead paint in the manufacture of toys and addressing other product safety issues.
At a "Consumer Product Safety Summit" held today in Washington, D.C., CPSC made known that China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine (AQSIQ) has agreed to take immediately action to eliminate the use of lead paint on Chinese-manufactured toys exported to the United States. Lead paint on toys sold in the U.S. has been banned since 1978.
In addition to the lead paint agreement, the two agencies announced work plans for cooperation in four product categories: Toys, Fireworks, Cigarette Lighters, and Electrical Products. CPSC Acting Chairman Nancy Nord stated that the Work Plans show "significant forward progress" in the agency's efforts to bring Chinese-made consumer products into line with U.S. safety rules.
The summit also resulted in an agreement (viewable as a PDF) by AQSIQ to increase their inspections of consumer products destined for the U.S. and to assist CPSC in tracing hazardous products to the manufacturer, distributor, and exporter in China. The two agencies will review the plans' effectiveness within one year to identify possible areas for improvement.