TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1989
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CONSUMER PROTECTION LAWS ON TOY EXPORTS POSE PROBLEM
THE HONG KONG TOYS INDUSTRY IS STILL STRONG BUT THE GROWTH OF CONSUMER PROTECTION LEGISLATION IN HONG KONG'S PRINCIPAL OVERSEAS MARKETS, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREA OF TOY SAFETY, IS A FURTHER PROBLEM FOR THE INDUSTRY, THE DIRECTOR OF INDUSTRY, MR K.Y. YEUNG, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).
"BY EARLY 1990, THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION'S TOY DIRECTIVE WILL HAVE REQUIRED THE GOVERNMENTS OF ALL MEMBER STATES ΤΟ HAVE TOYS TESTED FOR SAFETY IN ACCREDITED LABORATORIES BEFORE THEY CAN BE PUT ON SALE," HE SAID.
ADDRESSING THE HONG KONG TOYS COUNCIL, MR YEUNG SAID THE HONG KONG LABORATORY ACCREDITATION SCHEME HAD NOW REACHED A DEGREE OF MATURITY AND WAS REGARDED ACCORDINGLY IN THE INTERNATIONAL LABORATORY ACCREDITATION CONFERENCE.
"WE HAVE BEGUN NEGOTIATIONS WITH BRITAIN'S LABORATORY ACCREDITATION AUTHORITY, AND ARE PLANNING TO DO THE SAME WITH SIMILAR AUTHORITIES IN NORTH AMERICA AND THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY, WITH A VIEW TO ACHIEVING MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF TEST CERTIFICATES, HOPEFULLY BEFORE THE TOY DIRECTIVE BEGINS TO BITE,' HE ADDED.
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MR YEUNG SAID SOME LOCAL MANUFACTURING EXPORTERS PERIODICALLY ENCOUNTERED TROUBLE BECAUSE THEY HAD IGNORED KNOWN PRODUCT AND SAFETY STANDARDS.
HE SAID THE HONG KONG TOYS COUNCIL SHOULD INFORM MANUFACTURERS THAT THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT'S PRODUCT STANDARDS INFORMATION BUREAU PROVIDED A FREE INFORMATION SERVICE ON A WIDE RANGE OF PRODUCT AND SAFETY STANDARDS, AS WELL AS A FREE TECHNICAL ADVISORY SERVICE ON THE INTERPRETATION AND APPLICATION OF THOSE STANDARDS.
"WE SHOULD ALSO WORK MORE CLOSELY TOGETHER TO URGE OUR MANUFACTURERS TO MAKE GREATER USE OF TESTING LABORATORIES ACCREDITED UNDER THE HONG KONG LABORATORY ACCREDITATION SCHEME, HE ADDED.
IN THE FIVE-YEAR PERIOD 1983 ΤΟ 1987, THE TOYS INDUSTRY'S EXPORTS MAINTAINED AN AVERAGE ANNUAL GROWTH RATE OF NINE PER CENT AND THE INDUSTRY IS STILL THE LARGEST EXTERNAL SUPPLIER TO THE UNITED STATES AND EUROPE.
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