China Daily; report on lead paint summit
In checking this morning's China Daily, there is a story about a US-China summit on consumer product safety. "China promises lead-free toy export to US Updated: 2007-09-12 10:44" One of their primary agenda items concerns lead paint in toys. The official news agencies report;
'The absence of such an understanding allowed paint suppliers to provide lead paint to companies making toys sold by Mattel Inc and other companies, said Wei Chuanzhong, vice minister of China's General Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ). Lead paint has been banned on toys made in the US since 1978.
'"That's why we decided we should intensify the exchanges between importers and exporters in the field of standards," Wei said.
“Nancy Nord, acting chairman of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), said two days of talks with her Chinese counterpart indicated China was serious about helping keep unsafe products off the market.”
Nord said "We are working very hard to assure that the marketplace is safe."
All this is happening while the United States Senate is holding hearings in Washington DC on toy safety. Everybody here is concerned because of the recalls Mattel was recently forced to make on their products.
The attention all this has garnered has focused consumer attention on products made in China. I purchased media related toys made in China at several fast food restaurants. They are mostly made of plastic, and have many small parts. There has been no concern about these products.
One of the comments posted with the China Daily story shows how Chinese people look at this. The commenter, going by the name of Painter, writes;
“Each barbie doll uses about three table-spoon of paint to finish two coats. How much money is saved using lead-based paint as opposed to lead-free paint? I guess only a few cents if any. All the efforts, design and labour gone into making this $15 (USD) toy is ruined by greed and incompetence AT THE FACTORY.
"Don't blame on lack of understanding. The entrepreneurs who operate these factories know more than you think.”