THE Hongkong Toys Council plans a delegation to meet Beijing officials on the difficulties of upgrading China toy factories to ISO standards. This is a response to an invitation by representatives from China's State Administration for the Inspection of Import and Export Commodities, who met the council on Monday. From July 1, 1994, exporting toy manufacturers in China will be required to obtain a quality approval licence based on a set of standards similar to ISO 9000, a set of International Standards Organisation quality control standards gaining international acceptance. ''We'll ask for the regulation to be withdrawn, or for its implementation to be postponed if it is definitely to go ahead,'' said council secretary-general Warren Kwok Chung-yee. He said the representatives were receptive to the council's views in the Monday meeting: ''They told us there was room for flexibility. ''They also invited us to meet officials of the administration in Beijing.'' However, the delegation would not be organised before the Lunar New Year, Mr Kwok said. ''We want to wait until United States president-elect Bill Clinton has made clear his stand on China's most favoured nation (MFN) status. Then when we meet the Beijing officials we can bring up this subject as well,'' Mr Kwok said. As a more immediate step to formally express its concern, the council is also drafting a letter to the administration, to be sent by the Lunar New Year. ''There are about 2,000 toy plants in China, most of which do not meet the ISO 9000 standards. It takes time for them to be upgraded there,'' Mr Kwok said. Upgrading to ISO 9000 takes one to two years for a Hongkong factory. Mr Kwok said even if Chinese factories could be upgraded in time, the Chinese Government might not have enough human resources to finish all certifications within 18 months. ''If our manufacturers have not been certified by the time the regulation takes effect, they will lose their overseas markets,'' he said. ''We think the most important thing is that manufacturers meet the safety requirements of importing countries. Many of them don't require ISO 9000.'' Meanwhile, overseas toy retailers reported a surge in sales of Hongkong goods for the Christmas season. Toys'R'Us Inc in New York, for instance, reported a 18.5 per cent increase in sales on the same period in 1991. Hongkong toy manufacturers are expecting a bright year ahead as overseas retailers will need to replenish stock.
