Not terribly surprising but 2 of every 3 product recalls in the US was made in China for 2007.

67% of 2007 recalls were China imports

Reports of defective, unsafe products rise every quarter

The CPSC recalled a total of 447 products for safety concerns last year. Of those, 298 were manufactured in China. Only 62 were made in the USA. The rest were made in other countries.

The trend illustrates not only vastly different standards in safety between the two countries, but also a massive shift in manufacturing from the U.S. to China. The Chinese products recalled in 2007 include:

* Portable baby swings that entrap youngsters, resulting in 60 reports of cuts, bruises and abrasions;
* Swimming pool ladders that break, resulting in 127 reports of injuries, including leg lacerations requiring up to 21 stitches, five reports of bone fractures, two back injuries, two reports of torn ligaments and eight sprained ankles;
* Faulty baby carriers that result in babies falling out and getting bruised, getting skulls cracked and hospitalizations;
* Easy-Bake Ovens that trap children’s fingers in openings, resulting in burns;
* Oscillating tower fans whose faulty wiring results in fires, burns and smoke inhalation injuries;
* Exploding air pumps that have resulted in 13 lacerations including six facial injuries and one to the eye;
* Bargain-priced oil-filled electric heaters, selling for less than $50, that burn down homes;
* Notebook computer batteries that burn up computers, cause other property damage and burn users;
* Circular saws with faulty blade guards that result in cutting users, not wood.

Last year Chinese imports were hit for poisoning America’s pets, risking America’s human food supply and reintroducing lead poisoning to America’s children.

I have found myself checking every product I buy whether it’s made in China. I don’t buy any food, electrical, cosmetic or pharma related if it comes from China (there may be more product categories but that’s just off the top of my brain). Some items especially for dogs are not that easy to determine since the product might say distributed by a US company. For dog food or dog treats I found items where I’m fairly confident the ingredients are US produced and manufactured. If I can’t determine where the product is manufactured I don’t buy it. Pure and simple. Sometimes it costs me more but I’d rather not worry about rat poisoning or a lamp or battery starting a fire.

Technorati Tags: China, product recalls, imports, Made in the USA