Published
A joint Australian Customs and Border Protection Service and Australian Competition and
Consumer Commission (ACCC) surveillance activity to test toys for unsafe lead levels
has found full compliance with mandatory requirements.
“In the lead-up to Christmas, Customs and Border Protection and the ACCC conducted
inspections at the ports of Melbourne and Sydney to prevent toys containing unsafe
levels of lead and other toxic elements from entering the Australian market,” said
Nyakuengama, Customs and Border Protection acting National Director of Trade and
Compliance.
A total of 29 inspections and 837 individual tests were performed on 203 toys.
“All of the toys were found to comply with both Customs Prohibited Import Regulations,
and the mandatory safety standard for lead and other toxic elements in toys and finger
paints which is enforced by the ACCC,” Ms Nyakuengama said.
The types of toys targeted in the joint operation were children’s toys such as toy cars,
figurines and dolls as well as finger and face paints.
“This is good news for Australian parents,”
“The results are consistent with surveillance conducted by ACCC earlier in the year which
found only one of the 95 products tested contained unsafe levels of lead,”
“Importers and suppliers of toys that fail to meet minimum safety requirements are on
notice that Australian government agencies can and do work together to ensure
consumer safety, and particularly the safety of children,”
“In addition to damaging their reputation, suppliers who import and sell unsafe toys risk
financial penalties and costly legal action,” Ms Nyakuengama said.
For more information about product safety in
For more information about Prohibited Import Regulations, visit www.customs.gov.au.
Contact details
Media inquiries
Customs and Border Protection Media (02) 6275 6793
Mr Duncan Harrod, ACCC media unit (02) 6243 1108
Release # NR 252/11