The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) sought to end importation of hazardous children’s items from four California-based companies, but they didn’t respond to citations, so the CPSC filed a federal lawsuit in February. Last week, a federal judge issued injunctions against the four California companies responsible for the imports.
TDI International, Los Angeles, and S & J Merchandise Inc., El Monte, Calif., imported children’s toys with illegal led and phthalate levels, and small parts, according to the CPSC. BLJ Apparel Inc., El Monte, Calif., imported children’t products and toys with illegal levels of lead and small parts, and infant rattles that could cause choking or suffocation. All Season Sales Inc., Montebello, Calif., imported children’s toys with illegal lead content. The companies’ owners and managers, a total of six individuals, were also included in the lawsuit.
All involved and associated with these companies are “permanently enjoined from importing into the United States, directly or indirectly,” when it comes to products intended for children age 12 or younger, that is unless creating a comprehensive product safety program and acquiring audits and testing as required by the Consumer Product Safety Act, among other requirements set forth in the injunctions.
“CPSC and our federal law enforcement partners are committed to keeping dangerous toys out of the marketplace all year long,” said CPSC Acting Chairman Robert Adler. “Manufacturers, importers and retailers need to know that CPSC and the U.S. Justice Department are actively enforcing the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a law that has strengthened the nation’s product safety net.”
CPSC collected and tested samples of the four companies’ children’s product upon arrival at the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach between 2008 and 2013, according to the CPSC. Repeated notices of noncompliance were not acknowledged and the noncompliant products continued to be imported. Most of the shipments were detected before being distributed to consumers. In 2009, CPSC and TDI did have a voluntary recall of 150 pull-back toy cars, which contained excessive levels of lead surface paint.
