Chinese Imports to Australia Increasingly Tainted with Asbestos

March 30, 2015- In Australia, consumer advocates are growing worried about greater exposure to asbestos because of the booming trade in Chinese products laced with asbestos.
Border officials and the government say they can’t guarantee Chinese imports are free of asbestos amid mounting evidence of its use in the car, mining and building industries. Both importers and exporters can't guarantee the safety of goods.

Australian Customs and Border Protection Service officials say that while existing legislation made illegal the introduction of asbestos products to Australia without official permission, its efforts were “proportionate to the level of risk.’’

“ACBPS is not able to guarantee that all imported goods will be free of asbestos. Importers are responsible for ensuring the goods they import are free from asbestos and must declare this on import documentation,’’ the department said.

Customs officials are hampered by a lack of resources, large, porous borders and the sheer weight of numbers of Chinese-sourced goods that have been pouring into Australia.
Unions are alarmed at the potential harm to consumers and workers, with asbestos recently found in cheap plasterboard from China, as well as gaskets, trains, mining equipment and other materials.

Chinese officials have sought to clamp down on asbestos use in recent years, but the country remains the world’s second-biggest producer and the problem often stems from factories ignoring local regulations.

Read the full theaustralian.com.au post here.

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