United States President George W Bush has ordered a review of rules to ensure the safety of imports, after several scandals over fake or dangerous goods from China. The US has recently banned Chinese seafood containing chemical residues, and it has recalled contaminated pet food and toothpaste, as well as toy trains made with lead paint. Mr Bush says new regulations have to meet the needs of a changing world.

"Part of our strategy is we work with... countries from which we import goods, to make sure that their procedures and practices will give us comfort," he said. "Finally we'll be working with companies that import goods from around the world, to make sure that their practices meet the high standards that we set for the United States."

Mr Bush has established a new panel to review the import rules. Speaking after meeting members of the new panel at the White House, Mr Bush said he believed the Government was on top of the situation.

But his comments fell short of the demands of some senators, who have called for a permanent import tsar with broader powers to oversee the safety of goods imported into the US. The panel is expected to make its recommendations on ways to improve the safety of imported goods in 60 days.