Conformity Magazine - September 2007 - (Page 6)

Editor’s Note What’s Wrong In China? national governance. As the Chinese economy expands at an unprecedented rate, government officials face an almost overwhelming challenge to develop, implement and strictly enforce product safety regulations throughout the country. Unfortunately, when the risk of consequences is low, non-compliance increases. Pricing Pressures: In a global economy, there is always a producer somewhere in the world who will try to attract buyers with lower prices. Just as in industrialized countries, suppliers in China are now under continuous pressure to reduce the costs of their products. Unfortunately, economic pressures can often lead to cutting corners and taking shortcuts (such as substituting paint containing lead) that compromised the quality and safety of products. Insufficient Scrutiny: At the same time, many importers are not doing their part to assess whether the goods that they import from Chinese producers meet long-standing product safety requirements. Mattel reportedly had an industry reputation for a strong quality control program for toys produced in China, but unfortunately the program was not tough enough to prevent the importation of millions of unsafe products. Even more problematic are those importers for whom product safety is a mere afterthought. Good Old Greed: Some have compared China to other emerging industrial countries, where dreams of making a fortune bring entrepreneurs out of the woodwork. But good old greed is a characteristic that knows no national boundaries, and widespread opportunities for financial gain also inevitably flush out unscrupulous operators (both here and in China!) who willfully put the safety of consumers at risk by knowingly producing and marketing unsafe products. I n August, the Mattel Corporation initiated two separate product safety recalls for more than 19,000,000 toys manufactured in China. According to the company, the toys contain small magnets which were improperly affixed to the toys, and which could become dislodged and swallowed by young children. A separate batch of recalled toys was found to have been coated with paint containing lead. These recalls follow several others earlier this year for other unsafe products either produced in China or manufactured with components and materials imported from there. The recalls receiving the greatest public attention included off-brand toothpaste containing diethylene glycol (an ingredient in anti-freeze), and pet food made with wheat gluten imported from China that had been contaminated with rat poison. It’s not surprising that China is the source for more and more consumer products that show up on recall lists. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), China was the point of origin for 40% of the estimated $614 billion in consumer products imported into the United States in 2006, accounting for approximately $246 billion worth of goods. And, since (according to other statistics cited by the CPSC) about two-thirds of all U.S. product recalls are for imported products, it’s easy to see why China is in the spotlight. What’s more difficult to figure out are the root causes for the massive increase in unsafe products coming from China. I’m not an economist, but it seems that the following issues play at least some role in explaining the problem: Government Regulations: The saying “the mountain is high, and the emperor far away” aptly characterizes the Chinese tradition of local rule over For its part, the CPSC has reached an agreement with China’s General Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) that will increase communications between the two countries and manufacturers of recalled products produced in China. That’s a small start. But the problem is much bigger than one of communication; in the meantime, the safety of consumers around the world is in play. Bill von Achen Managing Editor 6 CONFORMITY SEPTEMBER 2007 © Photographer: Michael Thompson | Agency: Dreamstime.com http://Dreamstime.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Conformity Magazine - September 2007

Contents Editor’s Note FCC Extends Disability Access Requirements to VOIP Commission Fines Importer $3 Million Over Non-Compliant TVs FCC Gets Tough on Retailers Over Analog TV Tuner Labeling Analog Cellular Service Sunset Date Reaffirmed Commission Adopts Recommendations of Katrina Panel Free-Space Antenna Factors Through the Use of Time-Domain Signal Processing Editorial Correction ESD Open Forum An Update on Revisions to IEC 61000-4-2, the Basic Standard on ESD Practical Advice for Meeting the DFS Testing Requirements of the FCC The EMC Impact of Embedded Software ESD Design Buyer's Guide Tate Renominated to the FCC EPA Releases Report on U.S. Electronic Waste Additional Standards For The EU’s Toy Directive Medical Device Manufacturer Enters Consent Order Updated Guidance Document on Laser Products Issued FDA Offers Advice on Defective Heating Pads CPSC Issues China Product Safety Program Report Other CPSC Actions In The News IEC Standards Update Product Reviews Product News UL Standards Update From Our “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up” Department Looking Back: Items from Past Issues of Conformity Advertisers

Conformity Magazine - September 2007

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