A new study by Canadian researchers says design flaws, and not Chinese manufacturing, are to blame for dangerous toy exports. From the Globe and Mail:
“The consumer concern [about toy safety] is well founded,” said Paul Beamish, a University of Western Ontario business professor who co-wrote the study with two University of Manitoba professors. “But if you are going to get into a finger-pointing game, you should point it mostly on the design side. That’s where the biggest problem continues to be. It has got nothing to do with China.”
According to the researchers, 75 per cent of toy recalls were due to design flaws while 10 per cent were because of manufacturing problems. The cause for the rest was unclear. The study tracked the growth of China in the $71-billion (U.S.) toy business over the last few years.Chinese companies made 86 per cent of all toys imported into the U.S. in 2006, up from 41 per cent in 1991. Meanwhile, recalls soared from 3.5 million toys in 2001 to 7.4 million in 2006. [Full text]
