China introduces tracking system for toys

China, the world's largest toy producer and exporter, is building a nationwide traceability system that will help in tracking the origin of a toy and ensure its safety and quality, official media reported today.

Yang Dayue, a quality inspection expert, said the system will not only help track the origin of a toy and hold its producer accountable in case of a problem, but will also help toy manufacturers improve quality control through the use of big data, state-run Xinhua news agency reported on the launch of the new system here yesterday.

China intensified safety check for toys allegations that some of the toys contained either lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, antimony or chromium which could cause permanent damage to a child's nervous and immune systems.

In October 2016, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine started a pilot programme in Shantou City, Guangdong province, a hub of toy manufacturing.

A traceability system for China's toy industry will help protect consumer interests and make made-in-China toys more competitive globally, according to industrial sources.

The system is based on a big data platform and uses Internet and artificial intelligence technologies, Yang said.

China's toy exports increased 24.9 percent year on year in 2016, customs data showed.