Insurers are starting to not only deny the claims of homeowners who dare file claims related to the drywall's effects, which include, apart from the horrible stench, corrosion of pipes and wires. Trouble is, since homeowner's insurance is a requirement for mortgages, losing that insurance can result in instant foreclosure.

Thousands of homeowners nationwide who bought new houses constructed from the defective building materials are finding their hopes dashed, their lives in limbo. And experts warn that cases like the Ivorys', in which insurers drop policies or send notices of non-renewal based on the presence of Chinese drywall, will become rampant as insurance companies process the hundreds of claims currently in the pipeline.

At least three insurers have already canceled or refused to renew policies after homeowners sought their help replacing the bad wallboard. Because mortgage companies require homeowners to insure their properties, they are then at risk of foreclosure, yet no law prevents the cancellations.

Which is great, because if there's anything America needs right now, it's more foreclosures! Bring it on.

Insurers dropping Chinese drywall policies [AP] (Thanks, econobiker!)

(Photo: formatc1)

"Target fined over lead paint in toys" [Reuters]
(Photo: j.reed)

(Photo: Velo Steve)

"Secretly" is kind of an over-the-top word to use, right? Well, the Associated Press reports that when the CPSC voted to exempt Mattel,

CPSC issued no press release about the 3-0 vote in Mattel's favor, and information on the vote was not posted on the commission's Web site section pertaining to the CPSIA law.

[...]

The agency approved seven Mattel labs as "firewalled third party laboratories" - the first to get that designation under the new law, which permits the "firewall" exception. Mattel pushed hard for the firewalled labs provision when Congress was considering the legislation. The company spent more than $1 million in 2008 on lobbying, according to federal records.

"Third-party safety tests not required for Mattel" [Yahoo] (Thanks to Richard!)
(Photo: IntangibleArts)

LONG BEACH, CA-According to analysts, a perfectly clean and healthy shipment of Yu Wan Mei Tinned Fish Product, newly arrived from China, was rendered useless by the tainted hands of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Monday. The inspectors-whose mercury-covered fingers had reportedly been dragged through towering mountains of bird dung before handling the superior fish product-molested the shipping container on the corrupt docks of California and took every effort to endanger the well-being of America's fish-consuming population. "The fish product was beautiful when it left our factories," said Zuo Xiabing, CEO of Yu Wan Mei. "It is no longer that way. I would prefer not to sell it to anyone in this impure condition, but sometimes the desire for fish product is so great that people will buy it no matter the risk." It is speculated that the vile inspectors somehow conjured superhuman speed and strength in order to puncture at least half of the lead-tin alloy containers and insert melamine into the other half. There exists no other explanation.

We apologize for the error.

Pristine Shipment Of Fish Product Contaminated By Filthy U.S. Inspectors [The Onion]
(Photo: Mica_R)

[James H. Sumner, president of the Georgia-based USA Poultry & Egg Export Council] says the potential ban appears to be tied to a provision in the most recent U.S. spending bill that prohibits the USDA from allowing Chinese chicken plants to send poultry products to the U.S. Lawmakers question whether China's chicken processing plants meet U.S. standards.

A ban on U.S. chicken would be the latest example of food safety and trade colliding. In recent months the U.S. has been under pressure from lawmakers and trade groups to crack down on goods coming from China. China has responded with allegations of U.S. protectionism.

The potential ban could be a big blow to the U.S. chicken industry, which has been struggling with high grain prices and a price-depressing oversupply of chicken. Exports had been a bright spot for the industry, and last year China surpassed Russia as the largest destination for U.S. chicken, according to the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council.

The House's position is clear: they don't want the U.S. importing chickens processed in China. The Senate's version of the Agriculture appropriations bill would allow imports if the U.S.D.A. audits the Chinese factories and certifies that they meet U.S. standards, because inspection and certification has a long and successful track record of working in China.

The issue will be resolved in conference, but for the moment, we'll just be glad that Congress gave us country-of-origin labeling.

Senate, House differ on China chicken ban [The Hill]
China Is Expected to Block Imports of Chicken From U.S. [The Wall Street Journal]
(Photo: dooleymtv)

Homeowners seek remedy as probe of Chinese drywall continues [Consumer Reports Safety]
Consumer agency lists fire hazards among Chinese drywall inquiries [Palm Beach Post]

The health risk of phosphogypsum is uncertain, but industry specialists say they are troubled by its widespread use and the possibility it was exported, especially in light of recent incidents in which other Chinese imports such as pet food, toys and candy were found to be contaminated with toxic or unsafe substances.

"Considering the fact that phosphogypsum can cause corrosion, something should be done," said Ding Dawu, a geoscientist and an authority on gypsum processing in China. "Right now," he added, "there are no complaints [in China] because most people don't know much about gypsum board and there are no standards against it."

[...]

Huge phosphogypsum dump sites can be seen in all corners of China. Near the banks of the Yangtze River in central China's Wuhan area, raw phosphogypsum is spread over 20 acres and packed 65 feet deep into the ground. The smell of sulfur permeates the air. Workers at the site said the material was given away to anyone willing to pay the transportation costs, a mere $1.75 per ton.

No one knows how much phosphogypsum board from China was shipped abroad. But in 2006, Chinese exports of drywall to the U.S. totaled a record 503 million pounds valued at more than $25 million, according to Chinese customs' statistics. That's enough for 32,000 homes.

The EPA, Customs, and the Department Commerce all say they aren't required to test drywall, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission says they only ask Customs to inspect items for which there are mandatory testing requirements. So, as usual, it's up to the Chinese quality protection agency to keep us safe.

Chinese drywall blamed for odors and corrosion in U.S. homes [The Los Angeles Times]
(Photo: The County Clerk)

In this case, the dangerous products were fake antimalarial tablets destined for Nigeria. 642,000 people would have been affected had the Nigerian government not discovered the fake drugs and intercepted them. While the tablets were labeled "Made in India," evidence showed that they were produced in and shipped from China.

Both China and India are big players in the manufacture of generic drugs, and both export medicines to Africa. The Indian government is, understandably, concerned that the incident may hurt the reputation of India's pharmaceutical industry in Africa and elsewhere around the world. Rightly so, since India is more than capable of exporting their own fake drugs. No help from China needed.

Fake generic medicines from China with ‘Made in India' label seized: Nigerian Government [Government press release]
Chinese passing off fake drugs as ‘Made in India' [Times of India] (Thanks, Abhinav!)

(Photo: untitleed_x)

Mike ordered this tiny light, which looks smaller than the average adult's finger, and he writes:

I ordered a small LED flashlight - powered by a single AA battery. Imagine my surprise when I received it and saw the product warning on the package. Apparently it was coated with lead from Chinese paint. Fortunately, I am not planning on any children. And they didn't even enclose any operating instructions.

Mmm, lead. Here's the text from the package, by the way:

Always wear ANSI approved safety goggles when using this product. Before using this product, the user should read the operating instructions to understand everything about this product. Normal everyday use of this product is likely to expose the user to dust and microscopic particles containing lead and other chemicals known in the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm. Always wear the appropriate clothing and safety equipment when operating this product. Wash hand [sic] thoroughly after the use and handling of this product.

How about I do you one better and I just don't buy the killer flashlight?

"Mattel to Pay $2.3 Million Penalty for Toy Hazard" [Bloomberg]
(Photo: IntangibleArts)

"A real change, a real change from the past would be a plan on food safety that identified the foods at greatest risk," said DeLauro, who chairs the House spending panel that oversees the FDA budget. She also called for new performance standards, sampling to detect contamination and requirements for industry to report when problems were found.

The FDA is getting a 19% budget boost this year, in large part to help fund measures to derail the Chinese Poison Train. Beyond the extra taxpayer cash, Congress will let the agency charge food producers fees of almost $100 million so they can hire over 200 new food safety inspectors.

The acting head of the FDA says that they're busy working on a plan to make food safer, and should have answers "in the next several months." Ready, fire, aim!

Congresswoman seeks food safety specifics [AP]

Food Safety Offers A Trade Policy Opportunity [National Journal]
(Photo: Mr. Oliver)

In the end, food safety is something I take seriously, not just as your President, but as a parent. When I heard peanut products were being contaminated earlier this year, I immediately thought of my 7-year old daughter, Sasha, who has peanut butter sandwiches for lunch probably three times a week. No parent should have to worry that their child is going to get sick from their lunch. Just as no family should have to worry that the medicines they buy will cause them harm. Protecting the safety of our food and drugs is one of the most fundamental responsibilities government has, and, with the outstanding team I am announcing today, it is a responsibility that I intend to uphold in the months and years to come.

Obama also announced the creation of a working group charged with building a food safety framework that doesn't look like something out of the first Roosevelt administration.

Consumers Union has called on the FDA to inspect all food processing plants at least once every year. If the President really wants to make everyone happy he'll consolidate the food safety mandates spread across the government under a single all-powerful agency.

Still, nothing speaks louder than new funding, and we sure do like what the President is saying.

WEEKLY ADDRESS: President Barack Obama Announces Key FDA Appointments and Tougher Food Safety Measures [The White House]
President calls for FDA reform as Republicans continue to attack the budget [Consumer Reporter]
(Photo: Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com, with cute dead skull from cutedeadthings.com.)

Audits are not required by the government, but food companies are increasingly requiring suppliers to undergo them as a way to ensure safety and minimize liability. The rigor of audits varies widely and many companies choose the cheapest ones, which cost as little as $1,000, in contrast to the $8,000 the Food and Drug Administration spends to inspect a plant.

Typically, the private auditors inspect only manufacturing plants, not the suppliers that feed ingredients to those facilities. Nor do they commonly test the actual food products for pathogens, even though gleaming production lines can turn out poisoned fare.

As in the Georgia peanut case, auditors are also usually paid by the food plants they inspect, which some experts said could deter them from cracking down. Yet food companies often point to an auditor's certificate as a seal of approval.

The baking institute, which is based in Manhattan, Kan., and is also known as AIB International, says it inspected more than 10,000 food production sites in 80 countries last year. James R. Munyon, its president and chief executive, said his group's inspections were reliable and tough, no matter who pays for them, but he declined to elaborate on specific audits.

Even worse, employees with safety concerns are told to defer to the private audits.

Both the government and industry are aware of the problem. The government's solution? "Expanding the role of private auditors to inspect the more than 200,000 foreign facilities that ship food to the United States."

Robert A. LaBudde, a food safety expert who has consulted with food companies for 30 years, said, "The only thing that matters is productivity." He added that "you only get in trouble if someone in the media traces it back to you, and that's rare, like a meteor strike."

Dr. LaBudde said a sausage plant hired him five years ago to determine the species of bacillus plaguing its meat. But the owner then refused to complete the testing. "I called them ‘anthrax sausages,' and said they could be killing older people in the state, and still they wouldn't do it," he said, declining to name the company.

Food Safety Problems Slip Past Private Inspectors [The New York Times]

We guess when you've got over half a billion cell phone owners who are potential customers, SMS can be a pretty effective way to reach them (assuming you don't pay U.S. text message rates). On the other hand, maybe it's not the most tactful way to say you're sorry.

"China dairies offer text apology" [BBC]
(Photo of phone: adria.richards)

Drywall complaints go up [news-press] (Thanks to Richard!) (Photo: The County Clerk)

Here's the problem summed up in an Etsy FAQ from a woman who makes and sells puppets:

Q: So with this new law going into effect for children's toys, does this mean your toys will no longer be suitable for children?

A: BINGO! After February 10th, 09, none of my toys will be suitable for children under the age of 12. Apparently that's the date they all get poisoned. Research the CPSIA and write to your senator & congressman telling them that they'll totally put me out of the business of selling children's toys. (Dude, I just can't afford the $3,000 to test my toys.)

So what happened? Well, after last year's spate of killer lead toys and their subsequent recalls, the government stepped in with new legislation. Unfortunately, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act that they passed says that "manufacturers must now test for lead paint, and by Feb. 10 they must test for lead and certain chemicals anywhere in products made for children 12 and under." This means even small companies who, say, don't even use paint (much less import products from Chinese factories), will be required to shell out large sums of money to certify their toys are safe. The Los Angeles Times has a story out today that describes the grim future some of these small companies face:

"If they don't change the law, we'd have to close our doors," said Nick Christensen, owner of Little Sapling Toys in Eureka, Calif. "We won't be able to afford the testing."

His wooden rattles and building blocks, which retail for $20 to $40, would cost at least $1,500 per model to test, he said. Because he makes 20 models, his testing bill would be at least $30,000.

Christensen, who makes everything by hand, says the only things his products contain are wood and beeswax, and he's bitter about being forced to test them for lead.

Other manufacturers say they've been quoted testing prices of $24,000 for a telescope, $1,100 for a wooden wagon and $400 for cloth diapers, according to the toy alliance.

The Handmade Toy Alliance says that the law could be improved by exempting small businesses and by recognizing that certain manufacturing processes shouldn't require lead paint testing. (For instance, if your toys aren't painted or don't use plastic.) If the law stays unchanged, however (and if the fees for testing don't suddenly drop dramatically), then come this February you can expect either empty shelves in toy stores that specialize in handmade goods, or an explosion in toy "collectibles" that are labeled "not made for children."

"For some toy makers, rules to protect kids may be toxic" [LA Times]

RELATED
Handmade Toy Alliance
(Photo: Getty)

Some Dental Work May Contain Lead, Tests Show [KPHO] (Thanks to Nicole!) (Photo: dental ben)

Two brothers surnamed Geng were arrested for "producing and selling toxic and hazardous food," police in Hebei, the north Chinese province where Sanlu is based, told Xinhua.

From late last year they added melamine to the 3 tonnes of milk they sold on from farmers every day, the report said.

"Geng did so because he suffered losses after milk from his station had been rejected several times by Sanlu Group," it said.

Farmers or dealers may have diluted milk with water and added melamine, used in plastics, to make the protein level appear higher than it really was.

Thankfully, none of the tainted milk powder was exported to North America.

Liu Changjiang, minister of GAQSIQ (the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine for those who forgot,) strongly condemned the Sanlu Group, which may have known of the contamination back in March, saying:

“It’s shocking. It’s a crime against the people.”

No no, dear friend. After last year's scandals, not even 10,000 poisoned babies counts as shocking.

(Though, obviously, it's a terrible tragedy.)

Tainted formula again raises concerns about Chinese products [Boston Herald]
Hundreds affected in milk scandal [Reuters]
PREVIOUSLY: House Investigators: The Chinese Government Can't Protect Its Own Citizens, Let Alone Ours
(Photo: Getty)

PREVIOUSLY: Pet Food Companies Agree To $24 Million Settlement Over Killer Pet Food
(Photo: Ariana Lindquist)

FDA's working hypothesis is that this was intentional contamination, but this has not been proven.

"The complexity of the global drug supply chain creates new and emerging risks that call for new ways of thinking about, identifying and addressing vulnerabilities, and that resting on old standards - even ones that have worked for decades - is no longer enough.

Significant differences remain between the Senate and House legislation, but compromise seems assured on several key points:

• Funding for the Commission would rise from $63 million to over $100 million.
• The CPSC would be allowed to work without a quorum, but funding would be available for a full slate of 5 Commissioners.
• Lead would effectively be banned from all children's products, not just toys.
• Toy makers would be required to use independent labs to test their products for lead.
• Maximum fines would rise from $1.8 million to at least $10 million.
• 
  

Thirteen Senators think the bills goes too far and that their families are plenty safe without an expanded CPSC, thank you:

Allard (R-CO)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Corker (R-TN)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Vitter (R-LA)
Wicker (R-MS)

The White House has yet to threaten a veto. Stay tuned for updates as the bill heads to conference.

Senate Votes For Safer Products [Washington Post]
Vote Summary [United States Senate]
S. 2663 - A bill to reform the Consumer Product Safety Commission to provide greater protection for children's products, to improve the screening of noncompliant consumer products, to improve the effectiveness of consumer product recall programs, and for other purposes. [THOMAS]
Write Your Representative
PREVIOUSLY: How To Write To Congress

"I was trying to give my sister some candy and when I looked at it, it had a razor blade in it," said Chris, 10-years-old. His mother asked that we not use his last name.

The Pokemon cards and Valentines Day candy is imported from China by Sherwood Brands. In a recorded message Thursday Dollar General ordered all Pokemon candy and two others removed from store shelves.

"The items are the Pokemon cards and valentines candy. Dog valentine and pops and 20 strip, or 20 count strip Heart pops. Removing these items from the sales floor must become your most important priority today," said the recording from Dollar General Headquarters in Tennessee.

Importer Recalls Valentine Lollipops [AP]
(AP Photo/Polk County Sheriff's Office)

Maker of Thomas toys settles suit on lead paint [Chicago Tribune]

Many Chinese companies were unfamiliar with the concept: One furniture maker asked for kosher certification, drawing a polite rebuff. Another facility asked to get certified as kosher even though it was smoking eel on site, a kosher no-no. The company was turned down; it is now building a separate, kosher-only facility.

And many companies weren't ready for the grilling the rabbis gave them on their first visits to their plants, seeing it as a sign of distrust. "In China, everything works on relationships," said Grunberg of the Orthodox Union, which certifies more than 400,000 products worldwide.

Whether kosher foods are actually less likely to be contaminated with, say, E. coli bacteria remains up for debate. While research is scant in this area, experts say it makes sense that kosher food could be safer because it's more closely monitored. "Jews aren't allowed to ingest bugs, so produce must go through a thorough washing and checking to ensure that no bugs are found within the leaves or on the surface of the fruit or vegetable," says Moshe Elefant, a rabbi and chief operating officer of the Orthodox Union KOSHER, a kosher certification organization based in New York. But bacteria can remain even after this type of washing, so consumers can't assume they're less likely to get food poisoning with bagged spinach marked kosher than with a conventional bag.

The same caveat applies to poultry and beef. A salting process that removes blood from the meat has antibacterial effects, but salmonella and E. coli can still survive, says Joe Regenstein, a professor of food science who teaches a course on Jewish and Muslim food laws at Cornell University. Kosher beef, though, is much less likely to contain the misshapen proteins that cause mad cow disease, rare as that is, probably because the animals are slaughtered young, before the disease sets in.

Health-conscious consumers put their faith in kosher certification [The Globe and Mail via BarfBlog]
China going kosher after recalls [Mercury News]
(Photo: nicasaurusrex)

Previously, CPSC action has focused on manufacturers. Interesting. The cynic in me says this is a sure sign of how well manufacturers have the CPSC in the pocket. You know they're just itching to not be on the hook. Wouldn't it be more cost effective to focus on the source of the goods, rather than after the fact? On the other hand, everyone in the supply chain should bear some responsibility for the safety of the goods they sell. Perhaps if manufacturers know they can't make a defective product and have it be sold anyway, they will be more careful about what they make in the first place?

In addition, Nord announced the CPSC would use new funds to post full-time inspectors at high-traffic ports, took time to defend trips she took that had come under political fire and scrutiny, to decry presidential candidates using the CPSC issue as a political tool, to describe the media frenzy around 2007 product safety as having approached "hysteria", and settled once and for all that she definitely, definitely, did not break Mom's favorite lamp back at the old Cedar Brook house.

Safety Push Focuses on Retailers [WSJ]
(Photo: AP)

He writes:

so my wife and i and our 4 month old baby girl took a trip to the Poconos for a vacation back in December. we stopped at the Super Wal-Mart there (East Stroudsburg, PA) to get some supplies. my wife wanted to get some bibs for our baby.

she bought 2 packs of bibs with a vinyl backing so they wouldn't soak through onto her clothes because she always has her bib in her mouth... as it turns out these bibs have already been recalled in Illinois back in May of last year and later supposedly expanded nationwide for having high levels of lead. there were lots of news reports about this from back in May. after further research we found out the UPC numbers of the bibs and sure enough we had them. they were: Baby Connection 7-Pack Feeder Bibs UPC No. 01468151077. other upc numbers are: 01468152705 and 01468102732

so basically, it just makes us sick to our stomach that these companies will sell products to consumers that they know have high amounts of lead in them. why were'nt these bibs taken off the shelves in ALL of their stores. why does a child in Illinois have better protection than my child in New Jersey (although we bought the bibs in Pennsylvania)?

thanks guys, keep up the good work,

jeff

Walmart voluntarily agreed to pull the lead-ridden bibs back in May to avoid the fine-wielding ire of Illinois' Attorney General.

Mia Masten, a Chicago-based spokeswoman for Wal-Mart, said the vinyl portion of the bibs exceeded the lead levels set by Illinois for children's products. She said the company had worked with the Illinois attorney general's office to pull the items and later decided to expand the recall nationwide.

"We at Wal-Mart are committed to working ... to develop industry standards for the elimination of vinyl in children's products," Masten said.

Underage workers are forced to work overtime in dangerous conditions for little pay, a widespread reality factory owners easily conceal from incompetent inspectors.

A former Huanya employee who was reached by telephone gave a similar account of working conditions, saying many workers suffered from skin rashes after working with gold powders and that others were forced to sign papers "volunteering" to work overtime.

"It's quite noisy, and you stand up all day, 12 hours, and there's no air-conditioning," he said. "We get paid by the piece we make but they never told us how much. Sometimes I got $110, sometimes I got $150 a month."

In its 58-page report, the National Labor Committee scolded Wal-Mart for not doing more to protect workers. The group charged that last July, Huanya recruited about 500 16-year-old high school students to work seven days a week, often 15 hours a day, during peak production months for holiday merchandise.

Several students interviewed at the Guangzhou Technical School, less than two miles from Huanya, confirmed that classmates ages 16 to 18 had spent the summer working at the factory.

Some high school students later went on strike to protest the harsh conditions, the report said. The students also told labor officials that at least seven children, as young as 12 years old, were working in the factory.

"At Wal-Mart, Christmas ornaments are cheap, and so are the lives of the young workers in China who make them," the National Labor Committee report said.

Who is to blame? Economics. Factory owners will do anything to provide goods at everyday low prices. The reward for their productivity vastly outweighs the risk of a crackdown from China's notoriously corrupt regulators.

"The factories have improved immeasurably over the past few years," says Alan Hassenfeld, chairman of the toy maker Hasbro and co-chairman of Care, the ethical-manufacturing program of the International Council of Toy Industries. "But let me be honest: there are some bad factories. We have bribery and corruption occurring but we are doing our best."

Some factories are warned about audits beforehand and some factory owners or managers bribe auditors. Inexperienced inspectors may also be a problem.

Some major Western auditing firms working in China even hire college students from the United States to work during the summer as inspectors, an indication that they are not willing to invest in more expensive or sophisticated auditing programs, critics say.

Chinese suppliers regularly outsource to other suppliers, who may in turn outsource to yet another operation, creating a supply chain that is hard to follow — let alone inspect.

There is little that any Western company can do about those issues, no matter how seriously they take corporate social responsibility — other than leaving China.

We're amused/annoyed by the subtle way the TIA continues to push the idea that the bad toys of 2007 aren't the fault of U.S. manufacturers' decisions to cut corners. Just take a look at the language in this press release (emphasis ours):

"We are developing a system that will help to assure that products entering the U.S. market meet this nation's rigorous toy safety requirements, whether those requirements are defined in standards or regulations," association President Carter Keithley, said in a statement.

"Toy safety plan to debut Feb. 1" [CNN Money]
(Photo: Getty)

At the request of the chicken industry, the Senate farm bill would add chicken to the list of meats that would be labeled by country of origin beginning Oct. 1. Chicken producers have taken the opposite position of most beef and pork groups, which have opposed labeling. Richard Lobb, a spokesman for the National Chicken Council, said the industry asked Senate leaders to add chicken to the list because other countries have expressed an interest in exporting chicken to the United States and consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about the origin of food. Lobb noted that 95 percent consumed in the United States is domestically produced, but the Agriculture Department has granted Chile the right to export chicken to the United States and is considering an application from China.

Senate Slips Chicken Into COOL Farm Bill Provision [Cattle Network]
(Photo: foxypar4)

Survey: Global Manufacturers Staying Put in China [the smart cube blog]

This doesn't end the heavy scrutiny China faces in the EU for its shoddy safety record—the EU says it will continue to expect detailed reports every 3 to 4 months.

"To be honest we didn't expect such a positive response from the Chinese authorities," another Commission official said.

"But it just shows that the carrot and stick approach works. You cannot just go around banning everything from China. It would be ludicrous for both the industry and consumer, who would end up having to pay more in the run-up to Christmas.

"The two significant moves by China have been to increase their checks 10-fold, right down to regional level and the withdrawal of thousands of export licences," the official added.