Faulty Chinese drywall

Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune: In the 16 months since Chinese drywall problems were first reported in Florida, definitive answers remain frustratingly out of reach.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which for months has been running the gamut of tests on drywall, says that results so far are inconclusive. Further findings are due later this month, but others won’t arrive until next summer.

Dire straits

Some affected homeowners, meanwhile, are in dire straits. Those who have moved out of houses they consider uninhabitable are now stuck with mortgage payments and the cost of renting temporary quarters. Builders who unwittingly installed the tainted drywall face unexpectedly costly repair demands.

Congress should consider fiscal stimulus funds for drywall repairs. Hopefully, the cost of this and the other options could be recaptured from fines, once the courts establish where blame lies.

Trade is a two-way street, and if China wants access to the lucrative U.S. market, it should be willing to work with U.S. courts.