China and the US had signed two important agreements to bring the standard of Chinese food items and drugs equivalent to the US products.
To match the standards of the Chinese food, drugs and other material exported to the US with that of the US, China and the US signed two agreements on December 11, 2007. These measures are taken after a row of safety scandals, as reported by AFP.
The US and China signed two pacts in the beginning of the Sino-US economics talks that revolve around industries engaged in manufacturing and exporting food items, farming feeds, drugs and medical equipments to the US.
According to the pacts, companies that are engaged in the export of some foods and medicines to the US have to register themselves to the China’s food and drugs watchdog agencies. Apart from this, they need to open for annual inspections also. Moreover, the government of the US will keep an online list of registered exporters.
These measures are extended efforts to curb the threats posed by the wrong practices used by the Chinese manufacturers to make products. According to various analyses and researches, American consumers become cautious about the products with label “Made in China” owing to a series of safety issues, including lead paint in toys, toothpaste with added antifreeze ingredient, contaminated pet food ingredients, and defective tires of automobiles. Such incidents are creating problems for the Chinese officials who perceive that it could have disastrous effects on the country’s economy.
In the US, lawmakers and established firms are strongly opposing import of unsafe Chinese products. These firms and lawmakers are pressurizing the Bush administration to take necessary measures in this direction, as reported by AFP.
The Chinese officials acknowledged that persistent attack on the Chinese products by the US Congress and media had severely damaged the reputation of products and nation’s image. Now both the Chinese and their counterpart American officials have decided to resist the attacks of protectionist.
