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The U.S. Toy Industry Association recently announced its support for mandatory increased product safety testing requirements for toys sold in the United States. This move follows similar discussions at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings during the week of Sept. 2 and probably was announced in preparation for planned congressional hearings involving toy industry CEOs in the coming weeks.
After a summer of product recalls, manufacturers will begin to lay out their plans this fall to convince the public the toys they buy are safe. Their solution will pose a challenge for China’s toy manufacturers and undoubtedly will be burdensome and costly to implement from the perspective of the toy manufacturers.
Calling for mandatory testing is an integral part of the toy industry’s strategy for improving product safety and quality assurance, as well as for convincing members of the public that toys are generally safe. However, changing consumer perception in the United States will take months, if not years. Changing the way toys are made and tested in places like China will be an even longer process. More product recalls are thus likely while the testing proposal is being discussed. And if the proposal is approved by the federal government, recalls are likely while it is being implemented.
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