Foreign manufacturers made eight of every 10 products recalled last year by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, according to an analysis by the American Association for Justice, a national trial lawyers’ group.
Many of the products on the commission’s list are children’s toys, clothing, and accessories — like Jesus Fish Beads and Rolling Toy Xylophones — which presented choking or fall hazards, or contained excessive levels of lead. China was the biggest producer of foreign-made recalled goods.
The 2008 figure for recalls of foreign-manufactured products was similar to 2009—84% of total recalls compared to 83% last year, notes the article.
On Feb. 25, U.S. Representatives Betty Sutton (D-Ohio), Michael Turner (R-Ohio), Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.), John Conyers (D-Mich.), and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) introduced a bill designed to make it easier to bring lawsuits against foreign manufacturers for faulty products. Currently, legal notice must be served in a company’s own country, which can be a lengthy and expensive process, according to the Association for Justice.
The legislation, the Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act, would require manufacturers to have an in-country agent to accept service of process for civil and regulatory claims. Foreign companies would also have to consent to state and federal jurisdiction. Similar legislation was introduced in the Senate in August 2009.
The full article and the CPSC’s 2008 and 2009 recall lists are here.
The House bill.
