US seizes made-in-China toys, popular in India, for having dangerous chemicals

PTI, Oct 22, 2021, 12:24 PM IST

Credit: iStock Photo

A consignment of made-in-China toys, which are highly popular among children in India, has been seized in the US after they were found to be coated with dangerous chemicals, according to officials.

The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), ahead of the holiday shopping season, warned consumers to be extra diligent while shopping online for children’s toys after the recent seizure of toys that were coated in unsafe levels of lead, cadmium and barium.

The CBP officers and a Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) compliance investigator initially inspected the toys on July 16, according to an official statement.

The shipment of seven boxes, which arrived from China, included 295 packages of Lagori 7 Stones, a popular children’s game in India where children throw a ball at seven stacked square “stones.”

The CBP detained the shipment on August 24 and submitted nine samples to the CPSC lab for analysis, which revealed that the toys were coated in lead, cadmium and barium that exceeded safe levels for consumer products.

Thereafter, the CBP seized the shipment on October 4, the statement said.

“The health and safety of our nation’s children remains a priority concern for Customs and Border Protection, CPSC and all of our consumer safety partners,” said Adam Rottman, CBP’s Area Port Director for the Area Port of Baltimore.