Dangerous and defective imports have made headlines all summer, prompting many to demand that the government take more action to protect US consumers. Now, Americans are going to be given a chance to air their concerns about this urgent issue. The Interagency Working Group on Import Safety will hold a public meeting in October to discuss recent problems regarding dangerous and defective imports.
The Interagency Working Group on Import Safety was established by the White House in July to conduct a review of import safety programs and recommend ways that the safety of imports can be improved. The group is chaired by Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt, and includes officials from many other agencies such as the Department of Agriculture and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The Working Group was established after several recalls of defective Chinese products raised concerns over import safety. This year, tires, dog food and toothpaste from China have all been recalled. Most troubling were toy recalls, including one that involved millions of dangerous toys distributed by Mattel. Many of the toys contained dangerous amounts of lead, while others were made with hazardous magnets that could seriously injure children if they were swallowed.
