Firm Sued for Toy Violations

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Friday that it filed suit against Los Angeles toy company Ameri-China International Inc. for repeatedly importing toys that violate safety regulations.

Ameri-China imported more than 755,000 illegal toys between 1997 and 2000, said commission general counsel Michael Solender. None of the toys ever made it to retail shelves.

The illegal toys, Solender said, fall into three categories. Some, such as toy cars, helicopters and phones, contained small parts that were choking hazards for children under 3 years of age. Others, including bouncing balls, mini pool tables and art sets, were intended for children older than 3 but failed to be labeled as such.

And one toy, the company’s Crazy Ribbon string spray, spewed flammable material.

Austin Wu, president of Ameri-China, said the charges were “not fair” because his company had been unaware that the toys violated U.S. safety regulations. Wu also was named in the suit.

But Solender noted that U.S. Customs officials confiscated the toys on nine separate occasions--eight on loading docks at the port of entry and one in an Ameri-China warehouse.

“Once or twice, and you can chalk it up to a learning experience,” but not nine separate violations, he said. The suit seeks financial penalties that could mount into the millions of dollars, Solender said.