Products recalled from U.S. hit record highBy Thu Nguyet - The SaigonTimes DailyHCMC - The number of Vietnamese children’s product recallshit a record high last year as local exporters violated the U.S. goodssafety regulations, according to a commissioner of the U.S. Consumer ProductSafety Commission (CPSC).Jeffrey G. Hilsgen, director of CPSC Asia-Pacific, saidthere were 18 Vietnamese children’s product lines recalled in the U.S. last year.As of August 4 this year, there had been seven cases compared to an average of8-9 cases in previous years.The major recalled products include beds with unsafecomponents and apparels with drawstrings or high lead content. There were 65such product recalls in the U.S.,among which 47 originated from China,in the period between October 2010 and March 2011.These products have violated the U.S. Consumer ProductSafety Improvement Act, or CPSIA. The regulations took effect from 2008 whenChinese harmful product recalls peaked.CPSIA limits the … [Read more...] about Products recalled from U.S. hit record high
Product safety recall
GM’s Barra to testify to Senate again on recall scandal
General Motors CEO Mary Barra talks to the media after appearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images/AFP) WASHINGTON: General Motors chief executive Mary Barra will return to the Senate next week for a grilling over the automaker's deadly delayed recall of cars with faulty ignition switches. The Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Insurance on Tuesday said that Barra will testify on July 17, accompanied for the first time in four congressional hearings by the head of parts supplier Delphi Automotive, Rodney O'Neal. Lawmakers are investigating the company's recall of 2.6 million cars that began only in early February, 11 years after the company discovered ignition switch problems related to dozens of accidents and at least 13 deaths. GM, which also is under federal investigation for the delayed recall, has been hit with a $35 million fine and is facing potentially billions of dollars in … [Read more...] about GM’s Barra to testify to Senate again on recall scandal
Apple recalls Beats speakers due to fire risk
SAN FRANCISCO: Apple on Wednesday (Jun 3) announced it is recalling Beats Pill XL wireless speakers because of danger batteries might get so hot they ignite in flames."Apple has determined that, in rare cases, the battery in Beats Pill XL may overheat and pose a fire safety risk," the California-based owner of Beats said in a release.Apple received eight reports of the Beats Pill XL speakers overheating, one incident involved someone's finger getting burned and another involved damage to a desk, according to a recall advisory posted by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.Apple asked people to stop using Beats Pill XL speakers and promised refunds of US$325 each.The commission estimated about 222,000 of the speakers were sold in the United States and another 11,000 in Canada. No other Beats or Apple products are affected by the recall, the Silicon Valley-based company said.Beats by Dre introduced Beats Pill XL portable speakers in late 2013, about … [Read more...] about Apple recalls Beats speakers due to fire risk
Samsung Electronics says halted Galaxy Note 7 production
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd said on Tuesday it has halted the production of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones and told owners to stop using them while it investigates reports of fires, due to consumer safety concerns. Samsung will likely permanently halt sales of the flagship device, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters, after fresh reports of fires in replacement devices prompted new warnings from regulators, phone carriers and airlines. Samsung did not immediately comment on the matter. The world's top smartphone maker earlier said it had asked all global carriers to stop sales of the Note 7s and the exchange of original devices for replacements, while it worked with regulators to investigate the problem. The company is offering to exchange Note 7s for other products or refund them. "Consumers with either an original Galaxy Note 7 or replacement Galaxy Note 7 device should power down and stop using the device," the company said in statement. Samsung's decision to pull Note 7s … [Read more...] about Samsung Electronics says halted Galaxy Note 7 production
Samsung halts sale, exchange of Note 7 over safety fears
The dramatic warning came in a written statement issued a little over a month after the world's largest smartphone maker announced a global recall of 2.5 million Note 7s in 10 markets following complaints that its lithium-ion battery exploded while charging.The unprecedented recall was a major PR blow for the South Korean conglomerate which prides itself on innovation and quality, and the situation only worsened when reports emerged a week ago of replacement phones also catching fire.Tuesday's statement was the first formal acknowledgement of continued safety concerns and came a day after Samsung acknowledged it was easing production of the flagship smartphone."Because consumers' safety remains our top priority, Samsung will ask all carrier and retail partners globally to stop sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note 7 while an investigation is taking place," the statement said.DISTRIBUTORS LEADAnalysts noted that the move came a little late given that a number of major distributors - US … [Read more...] about Samsung halts sale, exchange of Note 7 over safety fears
Samsung takes a plunge after halting Galaxy Note 7 production
The list of halted production factories includes Samsung Electronics Vietnam Thai Nguyen, that is responsible for the global shipping of the Galaxy Note 7.Samsung has encouraged Note 7 owners to have their devices replaced with new ones. However, there have been eight cases of replaced Note 7 unites that were reported to have also caught on fire, five in the U.S, one in South Korea, and one in Taiwan.A probe into the incident in Korea, conducted by Korea Testing Laboratory and SGS Korea, concluded that the fire was caused by a "strong external shock or the device being squashed."No results of the investigations into the seven cases outside of South Korea have been announced for now.Samsung has not released an immediate comment on the temporary suspension of the production of Note 7, but it is likely to delay the resumption of sales in Europe and India, which is set for October 28.On October 11, Samsung called a worldwide halt to the sale and exchange of its Note 7 smartphones, … [Read more...] about Samsung takes a plunge after halting Galaxy Note 7 production
Samsung to disable Note 7 phones in recall effort
Samsung announced Friday it would disable its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in the U.S. market to force remaining owners to stop using the devices, which were recalled for safety reasons. The South Korean electronics giant, the world's biggest smartphone vendor, said 93 percent of Note 7 phones in the United States had been returned to the company after its recall earlier this year, which came amid reports of devices exploding or catching fire. But to get any remaining devices off the market, Samsung said it would deliver an over-the-air update that prevents the phones from charging. "To further increase participation (in the recall), a software update will be released starting on December 19 that will prevent U.S. Galaxy Note 7 devices from charging and will eliminate their ability to work as mobile devices," Samsung said in a statement. The company recalled some 2.5 million Note 7s in 10 markets following complaints that its lithium-ion battery exploded while charging, and then had to … [Read more...] about Samsung to disable Note 7 phones in recall effort
Toyota to recall about 50,000 Sequoia SUVs
Toyota Motor Corp. recalled about 50,000 Sequoia sport utility vehicles from the 2003 model year to fix an unexpected slowing of the vehicle in the latest recall issued by the Japanese automaker.Toyota said Wednesday that the recall would address the vehicle's electronic stability control system, which helps maintain traction during turning. In some cases, the stability control could activate at low speed and prevent the SUV from accelerating as quickly as a driver expects, the company said.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had been investigating the issue and Toyota said it decided to recall the vehicles to address the government's concerns. The automaker said they had no reports of accidents or injuries connected to the issue and about half of the vehicles had already been repaired under warranty."Toyota is committed to investigating customer complaints more aggressively and to responding quickly to issues we identify in our vehicles," said Steve St. … [Read more...] about Toyota to recall about 50,000 Sequoia SUVs
Viet Nam bans products containing recycled waste oil
The list of canned products that allegedly contain dirty oil include 240 boxes of canned pickled cucumber with pork and 240 boxes of canned minced meat with chili. HA NOI (Biz Hub) — The Viet Nam Food Safety Administration (FSA) yesterday banned and recalled certain Taiwanese canned foods that reportedly contain recycled waste oil.The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office informed the FSA about the Cuu Huong Commerce and Service Company Ltd that purchased canned products from Wei-Chuan Food, a Taiwanese company that was reportedly involved in the "gutter oil" scandal.The list of canned products that allegedly contain dirty oil include 240 boxes of canned pickled cucumber with pork and 240 boxes of canned minced meat with chili.The FSA has requested the Cuu Huong Company to stop the circulation of these products immediately, recall the products and to report to the FSA before September 20. Cuu Huong Company. … [Read more...] about Viet Nam bans products containing recycled waste oil
Toyota says production back to normal by year-end
Toyota, the world\'s biggest auto maker, said on Friday output will start recovering in mid-year but will not be back to normal until end 2011 after Japan\'s quake-tsunami disaster caused parts shortages. Visitors are seen inspecting a Toyota Passo at the company\'s showroom next to the headquarters in Toyota city, Aichi prefecture. Many key component manufacturers in Japan are based in the worst-hit northeast regions, where facilities were damaged by the 9.0-magnitude earthquake on March 11 or inundated by the giant wave that followed.Toyota has announced production disruptions domestically and in the United States, European Union, China and Australia because of the crisis, temporarily shutting some plants or running them at half-capacity or less.On Friday it said it would also cut output in Thailand.It said in a statement that "in Japan, depending on vehicle model, normalisation of production is expected to … [Read more...] about Toyota says production back to normal by year-end