April 22 (Bloomberg) -- Senator John McCain vowed that as president, he would halt toy imports from China if life- threatening safety defects are found.

``I have to tell you, if I were president of the United States, the next toy that came into this country from China that endangered the lives of our children, it would be the last toy that came into the United States,'' McCain, an Arizona Republican, told about 300 people at a town hall meeting in Youngstown, Ohio, drawing thunderous applause.

Last month the U.S. Senate voted to require more product testing after a spate of recalls of Chinese-made goods, including lead-paint tainted toys, contaminated toothpaste and defective tires. Toymaker Mattel Inc. recalled 21 million Chinese-made toys in the last year because of excessive lead paint or detached magnets that could be swallowed.

McCain, 71, has clinched the Republican presidential nomination.

To contact the reporter on this story: Edwin Chen in Washington at echen32@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: April 22, 2008 15:20 EDT