White House Addresses Import Safety

A White House Interagency Working Group on Import Safety submitted its recommendations to address the growing problem of the safety of imported goods. The plan calls for both short-term and long-term actions for to help ensure that goods coming into the US from abroad. The White House announced the release of this Action Plan as well as President Bush's remarks concerning the recommendations.

President Bush makes mention that the American market is one of the most open markets in the world, and in the past, the US has relied on checking imports at the border. This policy has become "increasingly unreliable." Bush had signed an executive order in July 2007 that established the Interagency Working Group on Import Safety as a response to the seemingly unending announcements of recalls on goods from China, in particular.

The Interagency Working Group outlined 14 specific recommendations, and many of those recommendations concentrate on working at the source of imports to pressure suppliers to make sure that the products are safe. A common theme of the recommendations is that of "prevention."

The Action Plan calls for having a larger staff and thus presence of US officials and safety inspections in certain markets, especially those that fall into a high-risk category. A stronger certification program is needed, as is an increase in informing the public about which foreign suppliers have a history of safety issues, so that consumers can make more informed decisions about the products they purchase. In addition to better communication with consumers, the Action Plan suggests a more comprehensive data-sharing policy between federal agencies as well as with other foreign governments.

The Action Plan also posits that safety can be ensured if the US develops an incentive program to reward importers and suppliers for a strong safety history. As a companion to this recommendation, penalties for importing and manufacturing dangerous goods should be increased and made more punitive.

The Interagency Working Work is headed by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Mike Leavitt. Members of the Group come from twelve departments and agencies within the federal government. An initial report from the Group was given to the President in September recommending that changes were needed in import safety policies, but this Action Plan is a more detailed outline of 50 specific actions.

The Interagency Working Group based its recommendations presented in the Action Plan on research and analysis as well as public comment. The Group also recommends that the members of the Group meet within 30 days to continue work on designing collaborative measures between the public and private sectors.

As a companion piece, the Food and Drug Administration has issued its own Food Protection Plan. This plan calls for increased responsibility on the part of manufacturers to prevent foodborne safety concerns and illnesses. The FDA also wants to enhance the detection system for catching foodborne illnesses before they can harm people, and improve the response time when illnesses are detected.

The President and The FDA both point out that many of the safety measures that are recommended will depend on Congress and legislation to enact implementation and enforcement.

One group that applauds the new Action Plan is the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents many of the world's largest food, beverage, and consumer goods manufacturers. The GMA issued a press release stating that the GMA will comply with the mandatory FDA-imposed recall authority that the Action Plan recommends as one of the actions that need to be implemented.

Sources: The White House, The Interagency Working Group of Import Safety, US Food and Drug Administration, Grocery Manufacturers Association