A major emphasis

A major emphasis of this program is working with foreign manufacturers to establish product safety systems as an integral part of their manufacturing process. We have found that many overseas manufacturers, particularly those from the developing world, are either ignorant of existing voluntary and mandatory standards or simply choose not to design and manufacture their products to those standards. The CPSC has also conducted industry-specific safety seminars and retail and vendor training seminars in China. . . .

The third prong of our plan of action for Chinese imports is increased surveillance and enforcement activities. . . . CPSC obviously attempts to keep dangerous products from entering into the country in the first instance. However, in the event a defective product does enter the stream of commerce, CPSC has been taking stronger measures to effectively remove such products from the marketplace. . . .

CPSC staff is also working with various domestic and international associations and standards groups to assure that a strong message is being delivered to Chinese manufacturers and exporters. . . .

The fourth prong of our plan of action for Chinese imports is the modernization of our governing statutes to better allow us to address the large influx of imports. . . . For example, . . . [we propose to make] it unlawful to sell a recalled product in commerce. Consumers Union

Sally Greenberg, senior product safety counsel for the Consumers Union, a private con- sumer advocacy organization and the publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, testified,

Unfortunately, the system in place to protect consumers—especially children— from unsafe products has broken down. The recent avalanche of toy recalls, involving Chinese-made toys made with excessive lead levels in the paint, has exposed millions of children to a highly toxic substance and created a crisis of confidence among consumers who feel that they can trust neither the toy indus- try nor our government to keep their children safe. . . .

Never in its history has the CPSC been so challenged as an agency. . . . [W]e believe the agency’s leadership has failed to use the regulatory authority it has to fine companies that violate its rules, has refused to request more funding and resources even while admitting it cannot carry out core functions, and has opposed efforts by consumer groups to provide the commission with the funding and tools it needs to keep consumers safe. In addition, further exacerbating the CPSC’s weakened state, the current administration has instead imposed additional cuts on the already woefully underfunded and understaffed agency. . .