Consumer groups advocating for import safety – National Consumers League

by Sally Greenbreg, NCL Executive Director

Too often in the past, when products imported into the United States by foreign manufacturers proved dangerous to American consumers, these consumers found themselves without a remedy. The Chinese drywall product disaster is a case in point: hundreds of thousands of homes across the United States were built with Chinese drywall that has disintegrated and given off dangerous chemical fumes, forcing homeowners to abandon their homes.

Last month, eight consumer groups, including NCL, signed a letter in support of the Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act, HR 4678, sponsored by Rep Betty Sutton (D-OH). The bill will help consumers harmed by unsafe foreign products get redress for their injuries. Foreign manufacturers will have to post a bond to cover liability should their products prove dangerous and will be required to name an agent in the United States to take service of process.