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Senator Klobuchar Wants to Protect Families from Unsafe Toys Imported from China

July 9, 2007

(Washington, D.C.) Insisting that more must be done to protect children from unsafe toys, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar convened a Child Safety Forum today to hear testimony on concerns about the safety of toys from China.  The forum was held at the Ridgedale Library in Minnetonka, Minnesota.

Klobuchar heard from witnesses, including:  Nancy Cowles, director of KIDS (Kids in Danger), a Chicago-based national child safety group; Dr. Anne Edwards, president of the Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; and Prentiss Cox, a University of Minnesota law professor and consumer protection expert.

Klobuchar was also joined by several Minnesota state legislators:  Sen. Terri Bonoff; Rep. John Benson, Rep. Maria Ruud and Rep. Steve Simon.

Last month, 1.5 million Thomas & Friends wooden trains and railroad sets – made in China – were recalled after it was discovered that they were covered with lead paint.  This recall followed other recent recalls and regulatory actions against a variety of Chinese-made products (including other toys, tires, toothpaste, seafood and pet food).

Klobuchar said she is working with U.S. Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois to develop legislation to ensure stronger protections for American consumers. 

Klobuchar serves on the Senate Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

“I have serious concerns about whether the Consumer Product Safety Commission is properly equipped to protect our children from the rising number of unsafe toys being manufactured abroad,” said Klobuchar.  “The agency needs more authority and resources. and it needs to be held more accountable, to do an effective job safeguarding American consumers.”

Klobuchar noted that total staff at the Commission has dropped by over half – from 978 in 1980 to barely 400 today.  The Commission has only about 100 field inspectors and compliance personnel nationwide to conduct inspections at ports, warehouses and stores.  Meanwhile, the number of products on the market has increased dramatically.  Overall, Chinese imports to the U.S. have tripled during the past three years.

Of the $22 billion worth of toys sold each year, about 80 percent are made in China.  A recent analysis showed that 72 percent of all recalls for children’s products since 2004 involved items made in China.  Of 94 toy recalls during that period, 78 were made in China.  Another recent report found that all of the 24 toys recalled by the U.S. so far this year were manufactured in China.

“We can’t expect parents or kids to tell if a toy train is coated with lead paint or a toy has been so poorly made that it will come apart in a toddler’s mouth,” said Klobuchar.  “This is why we have health and safety laws and why we need an agency that’s fully equipped to enforce these laws with vigilance.”