Leading German sporting-goods retailers "yanked" Nike-
made soccer jerseys from store shelves yesterday "after
televised reports" that the jerseys of the team Borussia
Dortmund contained a chemical called tributyltin, or TBT, a
"potentially harmful fungicide used on boat hulls,"
according to Constance Hays of the N.Y. TIMES. Hays reports
that it is "unclear whether the substance was deliberately
applied to the jerseys" or "whether it was found in the
fibers of the jerseys or the decorations." Nike Dir of
Global Issues Management Vada Manager said that the jerseys
are being tested at labs in Germany and the U.S. and that
"in the meantime," Nike "was not recalling the jerseys from
its own stores." Manager: "There's nothing conclusive to
show that there is a health risk to the public. But
obviously, consumer concern is important to us. We want to
conduct the tests to ensure that there is no chemical agent
in the jerseys that can be a risk to the public." Black &
Company President Jennifer Black said that "there would be
little effect" on Nike. Black: "Nike has been doing
extremely well in Germany. I don't see this as being an
issue" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/7). The AP's Hans Greimel noted that
the jerseys retail for $75 (AP, 1/6).
