The OKK Trading company has agreed to pay a $655,000 fine for violating the federal ban on lead in children's toys. Over the past two years, the California-based company has issued six recalls spanning almost 18,000 toys and baby products.

The recalled items include:

• March 2009: 2,900 Baby Necessities pacifiers (choking hazard)
• Dec. 2008: 5,400 toy army figures (lead paint)
• Nov. 2008: 2,100 'Mini-Televisor' toys (lead paint)
• April 2008: 2,000 Interchange Robot toys (lead paint)
• Jan. 2008: 2,000 toy racing cars (lead paint)
• April 2007: 3,500 'Lovely Baby' and 'Happy Baby' dolls (choking hazard)

The penalty settlement, which has been provisionally accepted by the Commission, resolves CPSC staff allegations that from November 2007 through August 2008, OKK Trading knowingly imported and sold toys with paints that contained lead levels that exceeded legal limits. In 1978, a federal ban was put in place which prohibited toys and other children's articles from having more than 0.06 percent lead (by weight) in paints or surface coatings. Lead can be toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health consequences.

The settlement also covers staff allegations that from May 2007 through December 2007, the company knowingly exported noncompliant toys in violation of federal notification requirements.

When asked to comment, OKK acknowledged that their conduct had not been OKK.

OKK Trading To Pay $665,000 Civil Penalty for Violating Federal Lead Paint Ban and Other Child Safety Rules [CPSC via Consumer Reports]