STAFFDEL NELSON PURSUES FOOD/TOY SAFETY AND TRADE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 HONG KONG 002414 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS PASS TO EEB/TPP/ABT PAUL SAXTON STATE PASS TO USTR CHINA OFFICE/TIM WINELAND STATE PASS TO CONSUMER PRODUCTS SAFETY COMMISSION LAURIE HOPKINS/INTL PROGRAMS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ECON ETRD PREL TBIO HK CH SUBJECT: STAFFDEL NELSON PURSUES FOOD/TOY SAFETY AND TRADE ISSUES IN HONG KONG REF: A. HONG KONG 2217 ¶B. WELLINGTON 0845 ¶C. STATE 114788 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: House Energy and Commerce Committee Staff Delegation Nelson visited Hong Kong and Macau at the end of August to investigate import food and product safety, intellectual property rights and unfair trade practices. Meetings with Hong Kong and Macau government officials and private sector representatives revealed that Hong Kong and Macau continue to improve their import safety regimes by adding testing facilities, providing training for manufacturers, and drafting new food safety legislation. Food and product safety problems linked to mainland China's production facilities, once reported to Beijing officials, are often quickly and severely addressed, according to western journalists, industry and government sources. Challenges remain, however, including compliance with internationally accepted standards; frequently shoddy supply and production practices; importing companies moving quality control responsibilities from audit teams to manufacturers; increasing mainland production and labor costs; and unceasing demand for "the best deal" by importers. Increased labor and safety compliance costs will push prices of Chinese goods up ten-percent next year, said Hong Kong manufacturers. All interlocutors in Hong Kong expressed a clear recognition of the seriousness and urgency of the product safety issue. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) The Consul General and staff briefed the staffdel on Hong Kong and Macau economic growth, ongoing trade security initiatives such as the Secure Freight Initiative (SFI),and Hong Kong and Macau efforts to protect intellectual property (the Hong Kong government passed a new copyright amendment in June). DHS/ICE Assistant Attache highlighted successful partnerships with Hong Kong and Macau Customs regarding secure trade and enforcement of intellectual property rights. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Attache shared key elements of food and product safety, including a hands-on tour at a local supermarket to discuss food labeling and inspection practices. Hong Kong Consular Corps on Product Safety -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Consular corps representatives from Canada, France and New Zealand discussed their import safety concerns, which they see as a global problem. The discussion touched upon the August product recall in New Zealand involving formaldehyde found on imported Chinese-made blankets, the New Zealand government's ongoing imported and domestic food safety review, and unfolding developments in the U.S. Consular corps members and the staffdel agreed to ongoing information sharing on the import safety issue, and expressed a desire to understand more about the Japanese import safety regime, touted to be among the best in the world, specifically regarding food imports from mainland China. AmCham and Industry on Product Safety -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The American Chamber Board of Governors and key committee chairs expressed interest in the effects of new U.S. legislation on user fees, product liability, and trade. Noting the negative impact of recent food and product recalls on "Made in China" products, the Amcham officials recounted that U.S. companies instruct import traders to get "the best deal," with sourcing decisions being made over one year in advance. This can lead to decisions based primarily on cost as opposed to product safety. To further cut costs, many global firms no longer have audit teams in Asia, as this role HONG KONG 00002414 002 OF 004 has been shifted to manufacturers. Members conveyed first-hand knowledge of processing facilities moving to Vietnam and Cambodia to avoid the political baggage of the "Made in China" label. While this may solve negative public relations aspects of the product safety issue, it does not necessarily mean the products will be safer, they noted. ¶5. (SBU) The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (TDC),The Hong Kong Toys Council, and Hong Kong Toy Manufacturers' Association also briefed the staffdel. TDC stressed the important trade relationship between Hong Kong and the U.S., pointing out the link to Southern China, where a vast majority of the "Made in China" manufacturers are Hong Kong or foreign-invested enterprises. TDC and the toy associations believe that recent mainland China government product safety regulatory changes will result "in fewer mainland suppliers, but better and higher quality and safer products...at a higher price." Hong Kong manufacturers also anticipate a ten-percent increase in prices next year, as rises in the mainland's minimum wage, and increased product testing and compliance costs are passed along to buyers. This would conflict with U.S. importers' desire for the lowest possible price, they added. ¶6. (SBU) The toy company associations reiterated their ongoing commitment to product safety and to human rights (reftel A). Following the August recalls, toy manufacturers are investing in equipment for self-testing, and checking every batch of paint used in production. In turn, they are emphasizing training and education for manufacturers and subcontractors, with a TDC-sponsored product safety seminar for all manufacturers scheduled for September 18 in Hong Kong. When asked about two of the companies who produced toys caught up in the Mattel recalls, Foshan Lee Der and Early Light, they said: "Lee Der violated the law by producing and exporting goods that did not meet international standards. Thus, the mainland authorities revoked the company's export license." They were unable to provide comment regarding Early Light's situation because "the investigation is ongoing." Hong Kong Government on Product Safety -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The Hong Kong Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) and Centre for Food Safety provided the staffdel with details on Hong Kong's food safety best practices. Highlights included details of FEHD's "farm to fork" approach to import safety; discussion of their good relationship with the mainland China and Guangdong Province food safety officials; development of Hong Kong's new food safety legislation; and management of import testing and surveillance programs. FEHD told the staffdel that of the 64,000 food samples collected and tested in 2006, a majority imported from the mainland, there was a failure rate of only 0.3%, or 192 samples, which supports FEHD's claim that the vast majority of Hong Kong's food imports are safe. WSJ and NYT on Product Safety -------------- ¶8. (SBU) The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and New York Times (NYT) reporters based in Hong Kong confirmed that accountability within the supply/production chain is difficult to guarantee for "Made in China" products exported to the U.S. The WSJ reporter indicated that, "there exists little incentive for local and provincial level enforcement officials to find problems" in their processing industries. However, once a problem is identified to Beijing, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine (AQSIQ) enforcement is quick and harsh, said the HONG KONG 00002414 003 OF 004 journalists. When asked about the ability of PRC Vice Premier Wu Yi to lead the mainland's food supervision and enforcement efforts, the reporters said that she was the expected person to head such a campaign, given her history as the "Iron Lady", but with the new Party Congress set to convene in October, NYT said it was unclear whether she would continue to carry the food safety mantle. Macau Government on Product Safety -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Macau SAR imports 90 percent of its consumer products from mainland China. Consumer product safety is divided among four departments: -Macau Civil and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) handles fresh food and livestock; -Economic Services monitors processed foods and imported goods; -Customs and Excise monitors and seizes products at the border; and -The Health Department oversees markets, restaurants and hospitals. Macau also has a Consumer Council which is the recipient of individual customer calls, and would issue a recall should one be required. ¶10. (SBU) IACM and Customs inspect and test high volumes of mainland imported food products, with inconsistencies in these products being directly reported to the AQSIQ in Beijing. For example, IACM takes random samples from approximately one-third of trucks hauling fresh produce originating from mainland farms licensed to export products to Macau. Should a residue of pesticide be found, even if not at an officially unacceptable level, notice of the finding is sent to Beijing. IACM officials indicated that once such a report is filed, the offending farm's export license is immediately revoked and they are no longer able to export to Macau,"they just disappear." This message was reiterated by Economic Services regarding processed food and consumer products as well. ¶11. (SBU) Macau established a Food Safety Subcommittee in 2004, as part of an effort to be designated a WHO "Healthy City in Asia," which recognizes communities for meeting criteria regarding healthy citizens and a health-conscious environment. In addition, the Economic Services Department is currently drafting a consumer product safety regulation that directs companies to abide by international standards, and place liability at all levels: importer, manufacturer and retailer. The draft is expected to be available before the end of the year, and Economic Services staff committed to sharing the document. Hong Kong and Macau: Intellectual Property Rights -------------- ¶12. (SBU) The staffdel met with Hong Kong private sector firms (Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Microsoft and others),industry organizations (Motion Picture Association/International Federation Against Copyright Theft-Great China and Business Software Alliance) and the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department regarding intellectual property rights in the region. The groups were able to provide the staffdel numerous case studies demonstrating successful and unsuccessful enforcement actions, both in Hong Kong and mainland China. ¶13. (SBU) Staffdel Nelson also met with Macau government officials at the Economic Services and Customs Bureaus to review IPR protection. Customs officials confirmed their success in virtually eliminating optical disk fraud in the HONG KONG 00002414 004 OF 004 last several years, and have turned their attention to other products, particularly pharmaceuticals. Two pieces of legislation (55 and 99),aid in the prosecution and penalizing of retailers (10 cases in 2006). Both Macau agencies indicated that they had strong working relationships with their counterparts in Hong Kong and mainland China. Cunningham