China lists substandard goods at Wal-Mart, Carrefour stores in Beijing

30 November 2007

Mumbai: China, for long been lampooned by US and European importers for its substandard products, has brought out a list of substandard toy jugs and children''s shoes sold at Wal-Mart stores and drawing pens from French retailer Carrefour in a quality check at the Beijing supermarkets.

More than 20 million toys made in China have been recalled worldwide over the past four months. Beijing, while partly blaming foreign regulators and buyers for faulty products, has also vowed to crack down on faulty manufacturers and suppliers.

China has since made a point of naming foreign companies it claims also have problem products.

 US-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc, however, claimed the products in question which appeared on an official Chinese website, was more than two months old and the products, made in China, had long been cleared from the shelves.

Authorities had also blacklisted children''s toys at Wal-Mart stores in Beijing for problems regarding parts that could come off and cause harm if swallowed.

The blacklist of 54 items also included substandard children''s glasses, toothbrushes, building blocks and bikes with shoddy brakes and handlebars, at a number of Chinese retailers.