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Bush backs tougher product safety measures

money.cnn.com

President Bush on Tuesday said he backed tougher product safety measures that would give mandatory recall authority to the Food and Drug Administration and increase penalties on companies that import unsafe products into the United States.

The Interagency Working Group on Import Safety delivered a total of 14 broad recommendations and 50 action steps to Bush as part of its action plan to combat the growing number of unsafe products that are making their way to store shelves around the country.
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"The sheer magnitude of the import-export enterprise makes clear that our nation cannot inspect its way to safety," the advisory panel said in a statement.

"Last year, the United States imported nearly $2 trillion of goods through more than 825,000 importers. Physically inspecting every item would bring international trade to a standstill. The action steps provide a road map for better protecting American consumers and enhancing the safety of the increasing volume of imports entering the United States," the panel said.

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