Toxic substances found in Christmas toys sold on Chinese e-commerce sites

Some toys from Chinese E-commerce that failed to meet safety standards Courtesy of Seoul City — Toys being sold at Chinese e-commerce sites failed to meet safety standards. Courtesy of Seoul City

SEOUL, December 20 (AJP) - Seoul City has discovered alarming levels of toxic substances in Christmas toys sold on major Chinese e-commerce platforms, with some items containing hazardous materials far exceeding South Korean safety standards.

On Friday, the city government announced that six out of 15 inspected products, including paper toys, beads, and toy blocks, failed to meet domestic safety regulations.

Two Santa Claus figurines from AliExpress were found to contain phthalates, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, at levels 215 times the permitted limit. These items also exhibited lead contamination 11 times above safety standards.

Additional safety concerns were identified in products from Temu and Shein, including toys with sharp edges and detachable small parts lacking proper warning labels.