Following the numerous recalls of Chinese-made toys containing lead-contaminated paint, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, or AQSIQ, prohibited using lead paint in toys.

But neither government offered many details about how such a ban would be enforced.

U.S. law has long prevented manufacturers from using the toxic metal in children's toys, but many Chinese suppliers have either ignored the prohibition or followed looser standards.

It's not clear what the impact of these new measures will be on toys that are going to be purchased for the holidays.

Lead is a poisonous metal that can damage nervous connections, especially in young children, and cause blood and brain disorders.