Christian gift suppliers are largely up to speed with a new federal law designed to protect children from tainted products.

Vendors contacted by Christian Retailing have said they are paying "close attention" to the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), passed by Congress in August 2008 after Mattel recalled more than 21 million toys imported from China in 2007. Many were found to have dangerous levels of lead.

CPSIA bars the sale of goods, including toys and clothing that contain more than 600 parts per million of lead, marketed to children 12 and under. The law was to go into effect Feb. 10, but the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) approved a year stay of enforcement Jan. 30 for certain testing and certification requirements for children's products manufacturers and importers. Violations could mean shutdowns and fines.

"We are contacting all suppliers and asking them to confirm their CPSIA compliance, so that we can identify fully compliant suppliers on the CBA Web site and at the International Christian Retail Show," CBA President Bill Anderson said.

According to the retail trade association, 82 suppliers so far have completed a survey on its Web site, noting that the companies were in compliance with CPSIA. Although testing can range from a couple hundred dollars to $4,000 per item to comply with CPSIA, vendors said the cost was not a major issue.

Read the full report in the April 6 issue of Christian Retailing magazine.

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