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Grades 4-6

Tough Talk on Toys

Toymakers and officials of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) appeared before a committee in the House of Representatives on September 19 and 20. The topic: how to protect kids from unsafe foreign-made toys and other goods. The CPSC is a government agency that works to ensure product safety. The congressional hearings followed a wave of recalls of toys made in China (see "China's Broken Toys," 9/1/07).

Lawmakers asked how unsafe toys could have entered the United States. Mattel's top boss, Robert Eckert, said some of the company's Chinese partners "deliberately or out of carelessness" ignored safety rules. "We were let down and we let you down," he added.

The committee accused Mattel and other toy companies of "shoddy business practices," and vowed to expand inspections of imported goods.

Meanwhile, toy industry leaders worry about the important holiday sales season. Some aim to make it easier for consumers to find American-made toys. Big "Made in the U.S.A." labels are already appearing on toys. "Shoppers only want toys from the U.S. and Europe," Ed Schmults, the head of FAO Schwarz, told TFK. "We want to make sure they can find what they want."

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