The Consumer Product Safety Commission is scheduled to vote on July 27, 2011 on an enforcement statement on the 100 parts per million lead content limit for children's products, which is set to take effect August 14, 2011. In addition, as previously announced, CPSC will also be voting on a phthalates notice of requirements and a phthalates enforcement policy.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced its weekly meeting on July 27, 2011 in which the staff briefs the Commission on various compliance matters. The meeting is closed to the public and the agenda is confidential.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission published notice of the following voluntary recall for July 20, 2011:
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has rescheduled its vote on a phthalates enforcement policy and a phthalates notice of requirements from July 20, 2011 to July 27, 2011.
On July 19, 2011, the European Council adopted a regulation on the European Union's system regarding the standard description of fibers and the labeling of textile products to provide accurate information to consumers and improve the functioning of the EU internal market. Some of the main provisions of the regulation include: (i) simplifying and improving the existing regulatory framework for the development and uptake of novel fibers to encourage innovation in the textile and clothing sector; (ii) enhancing transparency of the process to add fibers to the list of harmonized fiber names; (iii) indicating the presence of non-textile parts of animal origin on the labeling; (iv) laying down methods for the sampling and analysis of textile products that can be turned into European standards; (v) etc. (See future issue of ITT for more detailed summary.)
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a press release on its recent 3-2 vote for the 100 parts per million lead content limit for children’s products to take effect as scheduled on August 14, 2011. The release states that the decision was made after the majority of Commissioners found there was insufficient evidence to make a determination that it was “not technologically feasible” for children’s products sold in the U.S. to meet the 100 ppm for a product or product category, adding that most testing and certification requirements are still stayed until December 2011.
Commissioners Nord and Northup and Chairman Tenenbaum of the Consumer Product Safety Commission have issued statements on CPSC's recent 3-2 vote for the 100 parts per million lead content limit for children’s products to take effect as scheduled on August 14, 2011. Chairman Tenenbaum stated that the vote was an important step forward in achieving the goal to “get the lead out” of toys and other children’s products. Commissioner Nord stated that due to the majority's decision, some companies will have to stop offering certain safe products and parents will have to pay more for virtually everything they buy for their children, all with no real health benefits. Commissioner Northup notes the difficulties companies will face in petitioning CPSC for an exemption from the 100 ppm lead content limit, which was suggested as a possible means of relief by Chairman Tenenbaum during a Commission discussion of the limit.
The National Council of Textile Associations has issued a press release expressing its opinion that the surge in U.S. exports of yarns and fabrics to the Dominican Republic-Central America-U.S. Free Trade Agreement region reaffirm the need for strong textile rules in the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations. NCTO states that it supports only a strict yarn forward rule in the TPP negotiations and will strongly oppose any deviations to that rule. In addition, NCTO states that the textile rules must be accompanied by stronger, more effective customs rules and enforcement to prevent fraud.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has updated the list of meetings between CPSC and its stakeholders that are open to the public, unless otherwise stated:
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has published the settlement it has provisionally accepted with Macy's Inc., containing a civil penalty of $750,000 to resolve allegations that it "knowingly" failed to immediately report that certain children’s upper outerwear had drawstring hazards, and that it sold some of the subject garments after recalls had been negotiated. Any interested person may ask the Commission not to accept this settlement agreement or otherwise comment on its contents by July 29, 2011.