FTC Signs Memorandum of Understanding with China's Consumer Protection Agency

The Federal Trade Commission and China’s consumer protection agency, the State Administration for Industry & Commerce (SAIC), today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote consumer protection cooperation.

The MOU, signed in Washington, DC, will facilitate greater policy-level cooperation in consumer protection matters affecting both nations. It is a “best efforts” agreement that is not legally binding and does not alter either country’s consumer protection laws. The key provisions of the MOU include the following:

Information Exchange: The MOU provides for the exchange of views on consumer protection policy issues of common interest, and exchange of information concerning consumer protection laws and regulations.

Collaboration Projects and Visits: The MOU provides for the exploration of possible collaborative projects, including seminars or other events, and mutual visits relating to consumer protection issues.

In 2006, the SAIC became a member of the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN), of which the FTC has been a member since its inception in 1992. This MOU will allow the two agencies to build further on the relationship they are developing through the ICPEN network.

The Commission vote authorizing Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras to sign the MOU on behalf of the agency was 5-0.

Copies of the Memorandum of Understanding are available from the FTC’s Web site at http://www.ftc.gov and also from the FTC’s Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish or to get free information on any of 150 consumer topics, call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357), or use the complaint form at http://www.ftc.gov. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,600 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.