Analysis: How Toy Recall Affects Brand China – Jane Macartney
The reputation of “Made in China” is tainted. The latest event is the recall by Mattel of 18 million Chinese-made toys. From Times Online:
China is starting to feel like the outcast child picked on in the school playground. Hardly a day goes by without more bad news about some dodgy product “Made in China”.
Gaining such a reputation is a risk when a country transforms itself into the workshop of the world, an unending source of cheap goods. Many of its manufacturers do ensure quality, but many others are too eager to make a quick profit to stop and count the long-term cost.
The decision by Mattel to recall nine million toys made in China is the latest blow to the country’s manufacturing reputation. Reeling from a string of food and product safety recalls this year, Chinese officials acted swiftly last week to punish two toy manufacturers, contracted to US brands, that used paint with excessive amounts of lead. [Full Text]
See a list of all the recalled items.
