NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 11, 2007
Release #07-305

CPSC Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: Julie Vallese, (301) 504-7908

U.S. and Chinese Product Safety Agencies Announce Agreement To Improve
The Safety of Imported Toys and Other Consumer Products

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a cooperative effort to ensure the safety of
children's toys, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
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. The Work Plans provide a
roadmap for bilateral efforts to improve the safety of these products,
which represent some of the most frequent hazards under CPSC's
regulatory jurisdiction.

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.

"This is an important signal from the Chinese government that it is
serious about working with CPSC to keep dangerous products out of
American homes," said Acting Chairman Nord. "We will be looking for
meaningful cooperation on the ground - that means not just with the
Chinese government, but also with industry at both ends of the supply
chain."

The Summit also resulted in an agreement 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.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting
the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more
than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction.
Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents
cost the nation more than $700 billion annually. The CPSC is committed
to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire,
electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard or can injure children. The
CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys,
cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals -
contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of
deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30
years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's
hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or
visit CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. To join a CPSC email
subscription list, please go to www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers
can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC's Web site at
www.cpsc.gov.