Chests of drawers recalled in N.America but still being sold in China
IKEA doesn't apply a "double standard" in China or discriminate against consumers in the nation, an IKEA spokeswoman told the Global Times on Monday, after media and the public questioned why some of the company's products that have caused three child fatalities in the U.S. are still being sold in China.
"IKEA chests of drawers meet all mandatory requirements in China and Europe," said Xu Lide, the IKEA spokeswoman, explaining that there are no safety hazards as long as consumers follow the product instructions.
IKEA recalled 29 million Malm and other models of chests and dressers in the U.S. due to a serious tip-over hazard, which caused three child fatalities and 17 injuries in the U.S., according to a statement of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on June 28.
Another 6.6 million of these items were sold in Canada, the statement said.
The recalled items are unstable if they are not properly anchored to the wall, posing "a serious tip-over and entrapment hazard that can result in death or injuries to children," the CPSC said.
The recall only applies to North America and it was an outcome of "a dialogue between IKEA in North America and the local consumer authorities," the company said in a statement posted on its website on June 30.
However, the same chests and dressers are still being sold in IKEA stores in China and Europe, according to media reports.
Qiu Baochang, a partner at Beijing-based Huijia Law Firm, said that "having met all mandatory requirements" should not be an excuse to avoid a recall.
"Whether there is any safety hazard should be the only standard for whether launching a recall," Qiu told the Global Times on Monday.
Qiu said that if the products have been considered as posing safety hazards in the U.S., then they should be also recalled in China.
Xu said that the chests and -dressers in question are designed to be anchored to the wall and certain tip-over restraints are provided with the products.
These requirements are also an integral part of the assembly instructions.
Xu said that so far, there haven't been any reports of injuries or deaths in China due to tip-over incidents of the products in question.
The company will "explain these requirements" should any Chinese consumers ask about the chests in question, she said.
The IKEA statement said that the company has launched a Secure it! campaign, urging its customers to inspect their chests of drawers and dressers and ensure that they are securely anchored to the wall according to assembly instructions.
Qiu said that the nation's quality authorities should strengthen regulations in this regard.
Companies should be "responsible and treat all consumers fairly," he said.
Media reports on Monday said that the quality authority in Shanghai has spoken with IKEA on the matter and urged it to guarantee the rights of Chinese consumers.
