With the holiday shopping season picking up steam, the government is taking steps to improve the safety of the $2 trillion in food, toys and other consumer goods imported into the United States each year.
The chief concerns for parents will undoubtedly focus on the toys and gifts they buy for their children this holiday season, said Tom Saquella, president of the Maryland Retailers Association.
“How [the proposals] will affect toy sales is the big question,” Saquella said. “For retailers, this is something that has to be addressed. It?s pretty harmful to sellers if the consumer doesn?t have confidence in the products.”
President Bush last week unveiled import safety plans in response to numerous recalls of toys with lead paint, drug-contaminated fish, toxic toothpaste, chemically spiked pet food ingredients, leaden novelty jewelry, defective tires and other goods.
Last week, 4.2 million Chinese-made Spin Master Aqua Dots were recalled after several children across the country were sickened after eating the beads. The beads were reportedly covered with a chemical that metabolizes into the compound gamma hydroxybutyrate ? the so-called date-rape drug.
The proposals call for allowing foreign makers of consumer products to seek voluntary certification that they meet U.S. product safety standards in exchange for expedited entry into the United States.
The plan would also give the Food and Drug Administration the power to order mandatory recalls of unsafe food products. The FDA currently lacks that authority.
“There has to be a plan in place, and we hope what the president has proposed will do the job, but we?ll have to wait and see,” Saquella said.
Jonathan Gold, vice president of supply chain and customer policy for the Washington-based National Retail Federation, said the government is taking the correct approach to ensure product safety.
“It shows there?s a renewed focus on product safety,” Gold said. “It?s also important to point out these plans focus on domestic goods as well. This isn?t just an import issue.”
Gold said another big question for retailers is how these plans would be funded.
“That?s something in the back of everyone?s minds,” Gold said. “We?ll continue to work with all of our members who want to have the safest products on their shelves.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
