Another letter from my senator- no word from Senator Biden

[Guest guest]

Senator Tom Carper

SH 513

Washington, DC 20510

202-224-2441 Washington

302-674-3308 Dover

302-856-7690 town

302-573-6291 Wilmington

http://carper.senate.gov

Dear Mrs. Delp:

Thank you for contacting me to express your concern about the safety

of products made in China. I appreciate hearing your ideas about this

very important issue, and I am deeply sorry to hear about your

illness. It is becoming increasingly apparent that modern day

products can pose significant health hazards, and it is the

obligation of governments and manufacturers to closely monitor

product safety.

I have recently heard from a number of constituents about this

matter, and I expect to hear from more Delawareans as Congress

considers legislative or regulatory action regarding Chinese imports.

As you know, there have been several recent controversies regarding

the safety of Chinese products sold in the United States. Within the

past year, there have been significant recalls of tires, toothpaste,

and toys from Chinese manufacturers. In June, the National Highway

Traffic Safety Administration ordered Foreign Tire Sales, a New

Jersey company, to recall as many as 450,000 imported tires because

the product was linked to a fatal accident last year. The tires were

prone to tread separation and deemed unsafe for the road. Foreign

Tire had been relying on the Chinese tire-making company to ensure

that the tires met U.S. safety standards.

Given the fact that 10 percent of the tires sold in the U.S. today

are made in China, this recent recall provides significant cause for

concern. We must do our best to ensure that tires- and all other

products, for that matter- imported and sold in the U.S. meet our

rigorous standards for safety and quality. It has become increasingly

apparent that the U.S. government needs to closely examine the

oversight process and safety regulations applying to products

imported from China. U.S.-China economic ties have expanded

substantially over the past several years. Total U.S.-China trade,

which totaled only $5 billion in 1980, rose to $343 billion in 2006.

China is also now the 2nd largest U.S. trading partner and its 2nd

largest source of U.S. imports.

To address this concern, President Bush is establishing a working

group to examine the safety of imported goods. The group will include

Levitt, the Health and Human Services Secretary, and

Transportation Secretary s. In response to growing concerns

in the U.S. over the health, safety, and quality of certain Chinese

products, the Administration announced earlier this month that it has

begun negotiations with Chinese officials to reach new agreements by

December on the safety of food and feed and of drugs and medical

devices. On July 18, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and

Transportation, of which I am a member, began holding hearings on the

safety of Chinese products. The Committee is also investigating U.S.

federal agency responses to unsafe imports.

Ultimately, I believe that problems like these tend to be self-

correcting over time. Chinese government officials and business

leaders are very mindful of the recent controversies and are rapidly

taking actions to address the lack of product safety oversight.

Moreover, if Chinese products are perceived as dangerous and

hazardous to one's health, fewer people will buy them. In this way,

market forces will compel Chinese manufacturers to adopt more

rigorous product safety and inspection standards. It is also

important to note that the costs of labor and products in China are

starting to rise, which will make the Chinese less competitive in the

global marketplace than they have been in recent years. This can be

attributed in part to the loosening of currency controls by the

Chinese government.

That being said, there is no legislation currently pending before

Congress that addresses the safety regulation of Chinese-made goods.

Should the full Senate have an opportunity to consider safety

legislation regarding Chinese-made products, I will be sure to keep

your views in mind. Thank you again for contacting me. Please do not

hesitate to contact me in the future about other matters of

importance to you.

With best personal regards, I am

Sincerely,

Tom Carper

United States Senator

Please do not respond to this email. To send another message please

visit my website at http://carper.senate.gov/aemail.cfm and fill out

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