Mattel head admits company could've done better on toys

By Hope Yen

Published: September 13, 2007

WASHINGTON — Acknowledging that "we are by no means perfect,” Mattel Inc. CEO Robert Eckert said Wednesday the company could have done a better job overseeing subcontractors in China that produced more than 21 million recalled toys.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission embraced Democrats' calls for more money after years of cutbacks to the beleaguered agency. "This situation cannot continue,” said Nancy Nord, the CPSC's acting chief.

Testimony to Congress on Wednesday by federal regulators and toy manufacturers detailed loose Chinese standards and spotty U.S. enforcement that have contributed to a spate of recalls of Chinese-made toys, food and other products as health threats.

Seeking to tamp down public outrage, Eckert told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee that the company would now test the safety of Chinese-made products with its own laboratories or with laboratories certified by the company.

He disputed reports that public warnings about the dangerous products were delayed because of disagreements with federal regulators or that Mattel might be motivated by saving money at the expense of safety when it chose to do business in China.

"I, like you, am deeply disturbed and disappointed by recent events. We were let down, and so we let you down,” Eckert said. "But we have tackled difficult issues before and demonstrated an ability to make change for the better.”

In recent weeks, Mattel has recalled millions of Chinese-made toys, including popular Barbie, Polly Pocket and "Cars” movie items, because of concerns about lead paint and tiny magnets that could be swallowed.

Under federal rules, manufacturers with a few exceptions must report all claims of potentially hazardous product defects within 24 hours. Mattel reportedly took months to gather information and privately investigate problems after becoming aware of them.

The CPSC, too, has come under fire. Its staff has steadily dropped from almost 800 employees in 1974 to an all-time low of about 400 employees.

Displaying a photo of a CPSC laboratory strewn with boxes and piles of uninspected toys, Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., called U.S. enforcement practices unacceptable and said he would work to boost funding to roughly $70 million.

Separately, China's product safety chief Li Changjiang offered assurances that toys made in China would be "safer, better and more appealing.” Li's remarks at a food safety conference in Beijing seemed intended to reassure consumers in the United States .

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