A news program recently did a show about recalled toys. It showed American employees 20 something to fifty something years old and stated they earn $13 – $20/hr. This program then showed foreign workers, children and teenagers, making toys and it was stated they earn less than $1.00/hr.
1) When CAFTA was signed, how could the president not foresee problems with doing business with countries that have no labor laws or product laws comparable with our own?
2) Is anyone concerned (and taking action) about the children making these toys being exposed to the high levels of lead in the toys now being recalled?
3) Does anyone know how to check toys, made in China or elsewhere, for safety? I purchased Christmas gifts last winter for this Christmas and now I am afraid to use them as gifts.
Your worry is overblown. There are lots of independent labs that test for lead . You could employ one, but that would duplicate effort. Virtually every company that markets such things under Chinese certification is doing that for you today. You can see a list of recalled products at the Consumer Product Safety Commission site. But the amounts of lead present in even these toys is so minimal that they don’t pose large hazards under reasonable conditions (yes, if your child ate a dozen toys, the accumulation might be significant).
What is it that you think CAFTA (the Central American Free Trade Agreement) has to do with Chinese lead certification?
Comment by SDD — September 17, 2007 @ 12:20 pm