Chinese consumers are calling on Swedish furniture maker, Ikea, to recall its dressers and chests shipped to the country after the company announced a recall of the same products in the United States and Canada.

Around 36 million chests and dressers were recalled after the products were linked to the deaths of six children. However, the fact that the recall is limited to North America has caused Chinese consumers to complain about being excluded from the matter. The New York Times reported that the recall order was issued in North America after children were crushed to death when the furniture fell on them.

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Customers who bought the furniture after the year 2002 are eligible for a partial refund. Ikea has argued that the dressers and the chests are safe when anchored to a wall as per the instruction. The refund could amount from $70 to $200, Women of China reported.

The decision for the recall came after the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission called on the furniture manufacturer to abide by the voluntary industry standards concerning the stability of free-standing clothing storage products.

On the popular Chinese social media platform called Weibo, many netizens have complained about the recall being limited to Canada and the United States. A person said that the limit discriminates against the Chinese people while another suggested that Ikea should be boycotted.

China is Ikea's fastest-growing market as sales in the country last year reached $1.55 billion. The demand for a recall in China has also led people to question the country's safety standards. One Weibo user said that the country's safety standards are too low not only in furniture but also in terms of manufacturing, health, cars, food hygiene, agriculture, among many others.

Ikea has argued that it limited the recall to North America since the products it sells meets the safety standards of China and other countries.

Ikea's spokeswoman for China, Xian Jiaxin, said in a statement, "The chests and dressers conform to all local regulations and standards. This model is sold not only in China, but also in other regions outside the United States. It's also sold in European Union countries. This product meets the mandatory safety requirements of EU and our country."

The Shenzhen Consumer Council has also released a statement calling for equal consumer protection. A part of the statement reads, "If products publicly recalled in North America are still being sold on the Chinese market, the Ikea Group must unconditionally recall these products." Ikea is yet to comment on the statement.

TagsChinese consumers, china, IKEA, Swedish furniture maker, dressers, chests, Recall, North America