Wednesday, December 10, 2008
An Open Letter to the Canadian Government
We are at risk of losing many of our beloved hand-made toys as a result of new, far-reaching legislation slated to come into effect in the US in February 2009. This legislation will essentially put small-scale crafters of handmade toys out of business, affecting retailers and consumers alike. Despite the fact that this legislation is coming into effect less than two months from now, information about it has only been disseminated this week. This legislation will also affect baby slings, carriers, cloth diapers and clothing - any product marketed to children. We urge you to educate yourselves and contact your government representatives if you feel strongly on this issue.
From: April MacKinnon, Owner, Nurtured Products for Parenting Inc.
To: Mr. Mike Savage, MP Dartmouth/Cole Harbour
Re: Changes needed to the Consumer Product Improvement Act (CPSIA) to Save Handmade Toys in the USA and Canada
Dear Mike,
Like many people, as a mother and small business owner, I was deeply concerned by the dangerous and poisonous toys that large Chinese toy manufacturers have been selling to our nations families. The US in particular has acted quickly to protect children by enacting the CPSIA.
However, I am very concerned that the CPSIA's mandates for third party testing and labeling will have a dramatic and negative effect on small toymakers in the USA, Canada, and Europe, whose toy safety record has always been exemplary.
Because of the fees charged by Third Party testing companies, many toymakers, especially makers of unique and beautiful wooden toys, soft baby carriers and cloth diapers from across Canada in the US will be driven out of business. Their cottage workshops simply do not make enough money to afford the $4,000 price tag per toy that Third Party testers are charging.
Canada quite often follows in the footsteps of US legislation, and while we applaud the efforts to make toys safe for everyone, especially children and babies, in the current economic climate, the onerous requirements will force many of our small-scale suppliers out of business, which will in turn force many retailers such as myself out of business.
I urge you to express to the US congress the severity of this issue to small-scale and cottage industry businesses across North America so that toymakers with revenue less than one million dollars in the USA and trusted countries with established toy safety regimes such as Canada and the European Union will be held to the same high quality standards defined by the CPSIA but will not need to pay for expensive third party testing or batch labeling requirements.
If you feel that testing should still be required, then the CPSC should be made to offer free testing services for USA toymakers and importers from Europe or Canada with revenues less than one million dollars.
These toy makers have earned and kept the public's trust. They provide jobs for hundreds and quality playthings for thousands. Their unique businesses should be protected.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
April MacKinnon
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