Asbestos-Tainted Chinese Vehicles Spark Oz Outrage

The row over Australian imports of asbestos-contaminated Chinese vehicles continues, with the Motor Trade Association of South Australia demanding a federal investigation into how the almost 24,000 vehicles got into the country.

MTA CEO John Chapman is appalled the vehicles were able to get through the customs process in the first place, as the importation of asbestos has been illegal since 2004.

“This is a scandal,” he says. “These vehicles should have never been allowed into the country, and we call on the Australian government to conduct a federal inquiry to discover how this could happen and why it took so long for the breach to be identified by Customs.”

The 21,500 vehicles from Great Wall and 2,250 units from Chery imported by Sydney-based Ateco Automotive have been recalled. Customs and Border Protection officers raised the alarm when they detected asbestos in imported spare parts.

The Age newspaper in Melbourne reported Great Wall and Chery had given Ateco written assurances that their vehicles complied with Australian regulations and did not contain any asbestos.

 “What is unbelievable is that the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission), knowing that these vehicles with asbestos are on our roads, only requested a recall so that a simple warning sticker could be installed,” Chapman says.

This doesn’t go far enough for the head of the 1,100-member MTA, the principal body for South Australia’s automotive retailers.

“They should immediately call for the importer to recall all affected vehicles and have the contaminated components removed and replaced in accordance with safe work procedures through their dealer network,” Chapman says.

“The ACCC also needs to prosecute the importer to the full extent of the law to highlight that Australia will not tolerate the importation of asbestos by any means.”

Chapman says a federal inquiry should look into the ACCC’s “pathetic” response to this breach and find out how many potential exposures there already have been in the community.

“The potential harm from these vehicles being on the road is more widespread than (within) the local dealer network,” he says.

“There are literally thousands of mechanics, body repairers and other retail automotive tradespeople, emergency services personnel and home mechanics who all may come into contact with these vehicles and the asbestos over the coming years.”

Chapman says even if the vehicle has a sticker, it may fade or fall off and the danger still remains without any warning.

“The only possible way that the community and industry can feel safe, is for the ACCC to insist on the removal and replacement of the affected components immediately,” he says. “We have warned our members of the possible dangers, but there are many more people who could be harmed by these vehicles containing asbestos.”