U.S., Japan agree to improve consumer product safety

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The United States and Japan have agreed on guidelines designed to improve the safety of consumer products in the two countries, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

Under the agreement, the two countries will share information on product safety, including the training of people dealing with the subject. It also provides for the exchange of safety professionals to implement consumer safety programs.

A commission statement said the agreement was signed at the International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization in Brussels, Belgium.

“Working under this agreement, both agencies will be able to identify dangerous products faster,” the U.S. commission’s chairman, Nancy Nord, said. She said it would save lives and prevent injuries in both countries.

Nord signed for the United States, and Makoto Misono of Japan’s National Institute of Technology and Evaluation signed for his country.

The United States is the fourth-largest importer of Japanese consumer products. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said the United States imported $40 billion in products under its jurisdiction in 2005.

The commission has agreements with Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, the European Commission, India, Israel, Mexico and South Korea to improve the safety of consumer products.