When
Friday October 10, 2008 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM
Continental Breakfast served from 9:00 AM to 9:30 AM. Conference begins at 9:30 AM
Where
Lipman Room, Barrows Hall, UC Berkeley (directions)
Who
Representatives from academia, public policy, government, advocacy organizations and the interested public. This conference is Free and Open to the Public. Please Register to place yourself on the list of conference attendees.
Why
Lead paint in toys, diethylene glycol in toothpaste, melamine in pet food and baby formula, antibiotics in farm-raised seafood, counterfeit blood thinners...These consumer scandals have grabbed the headlines over the last year and raised deep concern about the safety of imported Chinese products. China certainly has no monopoly on the production of tainted or fraudulent consumer products, but US dependence on Chinese goods is massive and growing. While China has begun to invest heavily in consumer product regulation, the Chinese regulatory system remains underdeveloped. American regulatory agencies must therefore shoulder a heavy burden to monitor and enforce consumer product safety standards. Recent consumer scandals, however, suggest that agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and the Consumer Products Safety Commission lack the capacity to effectively monitor Chinese imports or enforce U.S. consumer standards on imported goods. This conference will investigate the risks to American consumers in consuming Chinese products and the capacity of the U.S. regulatory system to protect them. It will also investigate the development of consumer product regulation in China and assess strategies for strengthening both Chinese and American consumer protection.
How
Please go to the registration page to place yourself on the list of conference attendees. Admission is Free and Open to the Public.
Goals
This conference will investigate the risks to American consumers in consuming Chinese products and the capacity of the U.S. regulatory system to protect them. It will also investigate the development of consumer product regulation in China and assess strategies for strengthening both Chinese and American consumer protection.
Register Here
Underwritten by
- Travers Program in Ethics and Accountability in Government
Co-Sponsored by
- Center for the Study of Law & Society
- Center for Chinese Studies
- Commonwealth Club of California