U.S. Rules Allow the Sale of Products Others Ban - Los Angeles Times

“Chemical-laden goods outlawed in Europe and Japan are permitted in the American market.” As a result, the US has become a dumping ground for goods that other countries have deemed unsafe for their citizens. Wood made with glue that contains formaldehyde, a cancer-causing chemical, is banned in China, but the Chinese are exporting this wood to the US where it is legal.

Unfortunately in the US, industry is a much more powerful lobby compared to American consumers, so the interests of industry are given priority over the interests of consumers.