Fear of Chinese items dismissed

Parents should have no qualms about buying Chinese-made toys for children in the run-up to Christmas despite a surge in recalls of unsafe toys, the head of Europe’s toy industry said.

More than 20 million Chinese-made toys were recalled worldwide in the last four months because of excessive levels of lead paint and other unsafe components, stoking fears of reduced consumer confidence ahead of the Christmas retail period.

But Bryan Ellis, chairman of Toy Industries Europe, dismissed claims by European and U.S. lawmakers that lax quality controls threatened consumers. “Consumers and . . . parents have nothing to fear if they buy reputable brands from reputable stores this Christmas,” Ellis said.

The recalls have shaken the industry but haven’t stemmed global demand for toys.

Chinese authorities said last month that orders for their toys were on the rise for Christmas despite the massive recalls, which included the world’s biggest toy maker, El Segundo-based Mattel Inc., which withdrew 21 million of its products.