U.S. and Hong Kong (2009)

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs

For Immediate Release
August 11, 2009

Readout of Chairman Inez Tenenbaum's Asia Trip

Between July 29 and August 6, Chairman Inez Tenenbaum made her first overseas trip as the head of CPSC. The first leg of her trip was Hong Kong, where the Chairman met Rita Lau, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development and Richard Yuen, Commissioner of Hong Kong Customs and Excise, as well as with key representatives of the toy manufacturing sector and business community. Chairman Tenenbaum emphasized cooperation and the need for compliance with all requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). At the Port of Hong Kong, the Chairman received a first-hand look (see attached photo) of a critical origination point for the majority of toys and other products exported to the United States. The Chairman also advanced efforts to develop a more formal relationship with Hong Kong Customs that would facilitate information sharing and enforcement cooperation.

Upon travelling to Singapore, the Chairman delivered the keynote address at the APEC Summit's "Regulator Dialogue on Toy Safety” (www.cpsc.gov/pr/tenenbaum08012009APEC.html). The speech focused on educating key foreign economies about current requirements of the CPSIA and significant new requirements which will become effective on August 14. The Chairman informed fellow regulators of her priorities, including enforcement, and pledged to ensure that CPSC would be open and accessible to dialogue with foreign governments and industries.

Completing her trip in Hanoi, Vietnam, the Chairman met with Science and Technology Vice Minister Tran Quoc Thang, whose ministry is responsible for product safety standards. The meeting served as an introduction for the Chairman, as well as a continuation the existing bilateral dialogue on product safety. Both officials expressed their desire to ensure that Vietnam, as a growing supplier of consumer products, is "building safety" into the manufacturing process for toys, clothing and other juvenile products.

As regulators, I believe that we should base our discussions here today on one over-arching premise: strong safety standards can save lives, especially the lives of children.