CPSC Announces New Investigation on Children's Metal Jewelry from China Containing Cadmium Instead of Lead
On January 11, 2010, Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that CPSC staff has opened a formal investigation into the children's metal jewelry identified in a recent news story as being made with cadmium instead of lead.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
CPSC stated that it would move swiftly to deal with the replacement of lead with cadmium in certain children's products imported from China.
In a short Web statement, CPSC Chairman Tenenbaum issued a warning against the use of heavy metals, "especially cadmium," in children's products, stating that she believes that the heavy metals cited in the F963 ASTM toy standard1 are going to attract attention in the U.S. from consumer advocates, media, and parents.
Cadmium, Antimony or Barium Should Not be Substituted for Lead
In a taped speech to be delivered Tuesday, January 12, 2010 to regulators at the APEC Toy Safety Initiative/Dialogue in Hong Kong, Tenenbaum encouraged manufacturers in China to refrain from substituting cadmium, antimony or barium in place of lead. "All of us should be committed to keeping hazardous or toxic levels of heavy metals out of surface coatings and substrates of toys and children's products," she said.
CPSC to Develop Mandatory Standards for Heavy Metals as Needed
Tenenbaum stated that "Voluntary efforts will only take us so far." CPSC staff has been working on testing protocols and lab accreditation rules for regulated children's products. The agency will develop mandatory standards, as needed, to deal with heavy metals in children's products.
(A number of press reports indicated that lab tests conducted for the Associated Press on 103 pieces of low-priced children's jewelry found 12 items with raised levels of cadmium, which can potentially cause cancer. Virtually all imports were from China.)
1The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) made the 2007 version of the ASTM toy standard (and any successor versions) mandatory, with the exception of certain provisions, for toys manufactured on or after February 10, 2009. ASTM F963 is available for purchase at http://www.astm.org/Standards/F963.htm.
CPSC information and taped message (posted 01/11/10) available at www.cpsc.gov