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35,000 rubber ducks in Santa, reindeer outfits seized at L.A. port
What?!
You heard me.
They may have had better luck on Santa’s sleigh, but more than 35,000 holiday-themed rubber ducks from China were detained by U.S. Customs officials at the Port of Los Angeles.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized the ducks — dressed as snowmen, gingerbread men, penguins and reindeer — which were valued at $18,522, after determining they contained the chemical phthalate in excess of the limit which may be harmful to children.
Phthalates are used to make vinyl and other plastics soft and flexible, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. Consumer officials prohibit the sale, distribution and import of any child’s toy or child care item that contains concentrations of more than 0.1% of phthalate.
In the last four years, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Customs and Border Protection stopped more than 8.5 million units of about 2,400 different toys and children’s products due to safety hazards or failure to meet federal safety standards, officials said.
h/t Groucho Marxist
Mary Jane Anklestraps
December 8th, 2012
Oh haaaail naaaah. Some of those ducks were brown.
Raaaaaaaaaciiiiiiiiiiiiiiists!!!!!
Corky
December 8th, 2012
I feel SO much safer now.
KF
December 8th, 2012
The academics (read Communist useful idiots) are teaching our kids that it’s the eeeeevil free market cspitalists who really want to ham or kill us with their products. They say this as if they believe the eeeeevil business owners live on a different planet where pollution and bad products don’t effect them. In reality the Communists in other countries are the ones who hate us and don’t care. Plus they’re so far overseas that they’re immune from the effects of things like poison kids toys
KF
December 8th, 2012
Except for the DIABEETUS monster, he might be out to hurt people
Mary Jane Anklestraps
December 8th, 2012
Yep. And I’m using the twinkie defense.
(Oh wait, no more Twinkies. >:-| )
scribble
December 8th, 2012
If only we were so diligent on our other borders.
dude
December 8th, 2012
This just opens up the system for bribs, like other 3rd world countries.
Jethro
December 8th, 2012
Meanwhile, 35,000 islamist radicals just snuck across our southern border….
Xavier
December 8th, 2012
LAT + not a word of the toys’ origin = coverup.
Dr. Tar
December 8th, 2012
Number of containers that enter this country every year – 6 million.
% of containers actually inspected 2%.
Feel safe now?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_security
Just wait till the Jihadi’s get a hold of Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal.
scamnesty
December 8th, 2012
if only we were so diligent on our other borders.
they’ll sneek them lil brownbastiges in anywhere won’t they?
MaryfromMarin
December 8th, 2012
I see the problem. None of them are wearing burqas or kaffiyehs.
Ten Megaton
December 8th, 2012
phthalate. How do you pronounce that without a speech impediment?
Buck Ofama
December 8th, 2012
And, these were made where? China, you say?
Color me shocked!! Don’t buy ANYTHING made in China!!
Now, can we do something about the illegal aliens that are getting into this country from EVERY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD?!?!?!
Freeshiticus
December 8th, 2012
?
Freeshiticus
December 8th, 2012
My comment disappeared.
Freeshiticus
December 8th, 2012
Wow, the word “C-h-i-n-e-s-e” is blocked ! WTF?
Freeshiticus
December 8th, 2012
Last try ….
Don’t give C-h-i-n-e-s-e shit to your kids. Save it for the liberals.