The recall of an estimated 20 million Chinese-made toys by Mattel on August 14, 2007, coming in the wake of reports about other defective products made in China, has generated a severe reaction. Defending the recalls, Chief Executive Officer of Mattel, Robert Eckert, said "we wouldn't have faced this problem if our suppliers followed the rules." The popular sentiment against Chinese-made products potentially has serious implications for global trade. Chinese-made goods from a range of industries such as toothpaste, pet food, toys, tires and jewelry have been found to be of poor quality or even dangerous. The authors analyzed recalls specifically of toys over the last two decades (1988 - 2007) to see if the number of recalls had systematically increased and what kind of problems were causing the recalls. The study finds that the number of recalls and the number of recalls of Chinese-made toys have shown an upward trend. However, the number of defects related to design issues attributable to the company ordering the toys is far higher than those caused by manufacturing problems in China. In light of the latest recall of toys by Mattel, the report makes two major suggestions: first, ensure the accountability of toy companies to improve their product designs and second, encourage the development of global standards to enhance product safety. The findings are based on toy recalls and apply to the toy industry. Nevertheless, they point to the need to examine the issue more broadly to find out where the responsibility for recalls lies.