US recalls of imported toys boost made -in- America sales
Monday, 19 November 2007
WASHINGTON, Nov 18 (AFP): With Christmas fast approaching, Don Edwards is worried about the record number of recalls of Chinese-made toys in the United States, and not because he has bought tainted goods for his grandchildren.
Edwards is concerned he won't be able to meet a surge in demand for the hand-crafted, all-American wooden toys he makes in a converted barn in central New York state.
Demand for the toys made by Edwards with the help of only one other craftsman, who applies the non-toxic finishes to the toys, has been spurred by the recalls of millions of toys this year, many of them imported from China.
According to the Consumers Union, more than 20 million toys have been recalled due to lead and other hazards this year so far.
Pamela Gilbert, a former executive director of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, told lawmakers at a hearing on toy safety this week that "industry analysts say only about 10 per cent of toys sold here are actually made in the USA."
Almost all of the millions of toys recalled in the past year in the United States were Chinese-made, Gilbert said, adding that the rash of recalls has "left parents wondering if any toy they buy will be safe for their children."
At the Guillow model airplane company, sales of made-in- America balsa wood scale model airplanes and gliders have increased this year, vice president Tom Barker said.
Edwards is concerned he won't be able to meet a surge in demand for the hand-crafted, all-American wooden toys he makes in a converted barn in central New York state.
Demand for the toys made by Edwards with the help of only one other craftsman, who applies the non-toxic finishes to the toys, has been spurred by the recalls of millions of toys this year, many of them imported from China.
According to the Consumers Union, more than 20 million toys have been recalled due to lead and other hazards this year so far.
Pamela Gilbert, a former executive director of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, told lawmakers at a hearing on toy safety this week that "industry analysts say only about 10 per cent of toys sold here are actually made in the USA."
Almost all of the millions of toys recalled in the past year in the United States were Chinese-made, Gilbert said, adding that the rash of recalls has "left parents wondering if any toy they buy will be safe for their children."
At the Guillow model airplane company, sales of made-in- America balsa wood scale model airplanes and gliders have increased this year, vice president Tom Barker said.