Ikea recalls furniture in China after North America move

[SHANGHAI] Swedish furniture giant Ikea is recalling more than 1.6 million cabinets and other items in China over potential safety hazards, the government and the company said, following a similar move in North America.

The Chinese government said in a statement the furniture being recalled could fall over if not properly fixed to the wall, possibly causing injuries or death to children.

Ikea announced two weeks ago that it was recalling more than 35 million chests and dressers in the United States and Canada as regulators said six children had died in accidents.

China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine - which issued the statement Monday - did not say whether any accidents had occurred in mainland China involving the furniture being recalled.

The recall includes Ikea's "Malm" line, said the government agency, which published a detailed list of items, which were made between 1999 and 2016 and include imports.

In a statement on its website, Ikea apologised to Chinese consumers.

"Product safety, especially the safety of children, has all along been the focal point of Ikea's work without any compromise. We consistently hope consumers will be assured the Ikea products they buy are safe to use," it said.

The company is offering to provide free wall fittings and installation to customers with affected furniture or full refunds, its statement said.

Ikea's North America recall affects 29 million units sold in the United States and 6.6 million units sold in Canada, according to Ikea and safety regulators in the two countries.

Six children died in the United States when furniture toppled over, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. No fatal incidents have occurred in Canada, according to regulators.

AFP