Ikea under fire in China after limiting dresser recall to North America
July 5, 2016, The New York Times
The announcement that Ikea was recalling 36 million chests and dressers in the United States and Canada linked to the deaths of at least 6 children has set off heated discussions among Chinese consumers over being excluded from the deal and the relatively lax safety standards in their own country. Ikea has said that the chests and dressers are safe when anchored to a wall as instructed with the supplied equipment, but its decision came after pressure from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to abide by voluntary industry standards for the stability of free standing clothing storage units. Ikea’s position is that limiting the recall to North America was justified since its products meet safety standards in China, the European Union, and other markets.
Half a million “hoverboards” recalled over risk of fire, explosions
July 6, 2016, NPR
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that a number of manufacturers and retailers are recalling the balancing scooters due to the growing number of incident reports, adding that many devices not included in the recall should be discarded for consumer safety. The list of 10 recalling manufacturers is posted at the agency’s website, cpsc.gov.
SelectBlinds.com: Responds to WCMA Statement regarding timeline to update window coverings safety standard
July 1, 2016, 4-Traders.com
SelectBlinds.com, an online retailer of cordless custom window coverings has responded to a statement by the Window Covering Manufacturers Association (WCMA) announcing the timeline to update the window covering safety standard. CPSC Chairman Elliot Kaye praised the association’s approach to having “the vast majority of window covering products sold in the U.S. (would be) cordless or have inaccessible cords – meaning they would be safe for children – as soon as possible in 2018.” The CEO of SelectBlinds.com, Al Silverberg, is pushing the association to make a standard stating that “effective January 1, 2018, window coverings sold in the USA must have no accessible cords.”
San Francisco officially decrees itself a No-Foam Zone
July 1, 2016, NBC News
When San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors voted on a law that expanded the city’s existing ban on the use of foam food containers, it dealt a blow to some things summer barbecue lovers and beachgoers in the rest of the country take for granted. Swim aids like foam kick boards and lightweight coolers—gone. Even utilitarian items like polystyrene dock floats and buoys will be illegal to sell in the city beginning in 2017.
Opinion: When lawyers get in the way of compliance
July 5, 2016, jdsupra.com
A legal practitioner for nearly 35 years, attorney Michael Volkov takes lawyers to task when they engage in “territorial” battles, or controversies over petty issues. “They always lose, no matter what the result,” he feels. This is especially true with in-house counsel and their “adjustment” to the rise of the compliance profession. He notes there is plenty of risk to go around in a company, and there is more than enough work to keep compliance officers and lawyers busy.
House staffers could’ve been drinking lead-tainted water for months
July 6, 2016, Politico
Lawmakers and staff at a U.S. Capitol building were notified about the discovery of lead-contaminated water in the drinking fountains, leading to a period of anxiety about being tested for lead in their blood. House staffers working in the Cannon House Building may have been exposed to lead contaminated water for as long as nine months. The water was previously tested in September and turned up clean.
Critics: BPA exception underscores major flaw in Prop 65
July 7, 2016, chem.info
Public health advocates argue that a caveat in California’s regulation of bisphenol A (BPA) effectively nullifies the measure. The reason is that state regulators last year added BPA to the list but delayed requiring individual labels on canned or bottled foods containing the substance. Instead, retailers that sell products containing BPA began displaying a Prop 65 warning at the point of sale this summer. Critics argue that the exemption prevents consumers from knowing which products contain BPA.
China survey: Quest for quality trumps taxes, prices
July 4, 2016, China Daily
Since April 8, 2016, cross-boarder e-commerce consumers face the fact that such orders, previously treated as lower-taxed postal articles, have been classified as imported goods and face relevant tariffs, a value added tax and consumption tax. Thanks to the growing number of cross-border e-commerce platforms, China consumers are getting exposed to a wider range of goods and prices. A KPMG survey of China consumers shows that one third of 10,150 respondents of online spending had made luxury online purchases at full, non-discounted prices in 2015. Consumers said they valued the origin of luxury products, a product’s unique features, and its overall quality.
How will emission scandal affect the future of VW’s vehicles?
July 7, 2016, NPR
The $15 billion price tag for Volkswagen’s diesel deception won’t put VW out of business, but it will greatly hamper the company’s position in the global market place. “VW is not going to be the same because they don’t have the money to be the same,” according to Erik Gordon, a University of Michigan business school professor. “Car companies live or die on their new models. You have to regularly bring out new, exciting models,” Gordon says.
Using big data as a supply chain asset
July 7, 2016, ebnonlilne
One of the most obvious and essential starting points in turning big data into a supply chain reality is building a strong foundation, according to industry analysts. This is the base level through which all data passes, how it is filtered, cleansed, verified, and ultimately used and distributed. Key elements for the foundation’s platform architecture include factoring in mobility, workflow support, connecting the Internet of Things, advanced analytics, exception management and content management.
