WASHINGTON: Hopeful US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has retreated from a pledge to halt US imports of Chinese-made toys because of safety concerns.

Instead, the Illinois senator, who is in a tight race with Senator Hillary Clinton of New York to win the Democratic presidential nomination, reiterated his longstanding call to bar toys with more than a trace amount of lead.

"Now, don't get me wrong: As president, I'll work with China to keep harmful toys off our shelves," he said in Greenfield, Iowa, according to a statement from his campaign for the November 2008 election.