Americans extremely wary of China goods: poll

A customs worker works behind boxes of Chinese-made Dentamint Gel toothpaste in Managua May 31, 2007. U.S. consumers are extremely wary of products made in China in the wake of a series of safety scandals, with nearly two-thirds saying they would support a boycott of Chinese goods, a poll showed on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. consumers are extremely wary of products made in China in the wake of a series of safety scandals, with nearly two-thirds saying they would support a boycott of Chinese goods, a poll showed on Tuesday.

Asked by pollster Zogby International whether they were concerned about buying Chinese products, 82 percent of respondents said yes and only 30 percent said they believed food imports from China were safe.

"The recent warnings and recalls about toxic toothpaste, tainted pet food, contaminated seafood and lead paint-laced toys from China haven't gone unnoticed by American consumers," Zogby said in a statement.

A range of Chinese exports, from fish and toys to pet food and toothpaste, have been found to be mislabeled, unsafe or dangerously contaminated, tainting the "made in China" brand and creating an international backlash.

In the latest scare, revealed after the poll was conducted, Mattel Inc. said last week it was recalling 1.5 million Chinese-made toys globally because their paint could contain too much lead.

The poll, conducted on 4,508 adults from July 17-19, found that 63 percent of people would be likely to take part in a boycott of Chinese goods until the country toughens safety standards.

Just under 70 percent of respondents said they were confident in non-food products from China. But 51 percent said they were unconvinced that China would make good on its pledge to tighten regulations on its food processors.