At present, 75 per cent of the toys sold
worldwide are made in China with overseas materials and designs.
The US, the European Union and other countries are continuously revising
their regulations and standards, setting higher and tougher requirements for
toy safety and quality.
Statistics show that the US imported US$16.1 billion worth of toys from
China in 2003, 76.5 per cent of its toy imports, while the EU imported
Chinese toys valued at US$6 billion, 75.5 per cent of its total toy imports,
and Japan purchased US$1.3 billion worth of toys from China, accounting for
86 per cent of its total toy imports
With urging from Mattel and the
Toy Industry Association since the start of 2004, the International Council
of Toy Industries has mandated the ethical codification and auditing of
China’s manufacturing practices. Referred to as the CARE (Caring, Awareness,
Responsible, Ethical) Process, it has, as Jim Walter, senior vice president
of quality assurance and compliance for Mattel, says, “put a stake in the
ground” — calling on all toy manufacturers to join the date-certain call to
arms.
The CARE Process, already joined by over 130 manufacturers, and growing, is
the international toy industry's ethical manufacturing program, with a code
of business practices and a set of independent auditing regulations, aimed
at ensuring safe and humane workplace environments for toy factory workers
worldwide. The initial focus is on China, because the vast majority of the
world's toys are manufactured there.
Each manufacturer in the program sets its own date on which it will
discontinue purchasing products from Chinese factories that do not adhere to
CARE’s code of business practices. Some manufacturers have set dates as
early as January 2006.
