INTERNATIONAL: Mattel Apology for Toy Recall

US toy giant Mattel yesterday apologised to China over the recall of Chinese-made toys due to design faults, and said it had recalled more lead-tainted Chinese-made toys than was justified.

The extraordinary gesture by Thomas Debrowski, Mattels executive vice president for worldwide operations, came in a meeting with Chinese product safety chief Li Changjiang, at which Li upbraided the company for maintaining weak safety controls.

“Our reputation has been damaged lately by these recalls,” Debrowski told Li in a meeting at Li’s office.

“And Mattel takes full responsibility for these recalls and apologises personally to you, the Chinese people, and all of our customers who received the toys,” Debrowski said.

Mattel ordered three high-profile recalls this summer of millions of Chinese-made toys including Barbie doll accessories and toy cars because of concerns about lead paint and tiny magnets that could be swallowed.

The “vast majority of those products that were recalled were the result of a design flaw in Mattel’s design, not through a manufacturing flaw in China’s manufacturers,” Debrowski said.

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