Wall Street Journal: China Product Scare Hits Home, Too. China is still at the early stages of developing the type of product-liability and product-recall system that is common in many Western countries, a system that leaves little recourse against companies that flout regulations that are rarely enforced. Product-liability lawsuits, common in the U.S., are rare in China’s legal system.
And, if some politicians have their way, product liability lawsuits will be rare in the U.S. legal system as well. After all, President Bush said, “The cost of lawsuits, relative to countries that we compete against, are high.” [Actually, he should have said the costs—plural—are high, but who am I to pick on the President’s grammar.] Now, the Census tells us that our second largest trading partner is China. So, either we have to gravitate toward their model or they have to move to ours. Which will it be? Who wants diethylene glycol in fresh mint with tartar control?