Empower consumers

A draft regulation on product recalls was recently published by the State Council to solicit public opinion. The move will surely help improve both the accountability of producers and assertiveness of consumers.

However, if the government is serious about measures to better protect consumers, such an effort to encourage the regulated recall of substandard products should come with more support for consumers to sue irresponsible producers.

Deterrent penalties will force companies to comply more than willingly with the product recall regulation. Otherwise, compulsory product recalls will either come too late for some consumers or be too difficult for the government to implement effectively.