In order to protect their own interests and consumer safety, especially the safety of children, many countries or regions have formulated strict laws, regulations and safety standards for toy products, and have formulated corresponding certification systems according to international practices and national conditions. As an import and export related party, it is necessary to understand the laws and regulations, safety standards and certification systems of the corresponding countries, and always pay attention to their changes and make corresponding adjustments accordingly, so as to smoothly export toy products and avoid the risk of notification of recalls. This article briefly reviews the certification systems of some countries or regions.
China
CCC certified
The full name of CCC certification is "China Compulsory Product Certification", and the English name is: China Compulsory Certification (CCC). It is a product conformity assessment system implemented by the Chinese government in accordance with laws and regulations to protect the personal safety and national security of consumers and strengthen product quality management.
According to the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Certification and Accreditation, the Regulations on the Administration of Compulsory Product Certification, and the Measures for the Administration of Compulsory Product Certification Marks, products listed in the compulsory product certification catalogue must be certified by a designated certification body, issued a certification certificate and added a certification mark before they can be shipped, sold, imported or used in other business activities. According to the latest version of the "Mandatory Product Certification Catalog", the current implementation of CCC certification of toy products includes four categories: electric toys, plastic toys, metal toys and riding vehicle toys. Therefore, toy products imported from abroad that fall within the scope of China's CCC certification should be affixed with the CCC certification mark before importation.
European Union
CE certification
CE certification is a passport for toy products to enter the EU market for sale. In order to ensure the safety of the lives and property of the people of its member states, whether it is the products produced by enterprises within the European Union or the products produced in any country or region outside the European Union, if they want to circulate freely in the EU market, they must affix the CE mark belonging to the mandatory certification to indicate that the products meet the basic requirements of the EU "New Methods of Technical Harmonization and Standardization" Directive.
It is important to note that on 20 June 2019, the Eu Parliament and the Council approved a new EU Regulation EU2019/1020, which came into force on 16 July 2021. After the implementation of the new regulation, all consumer goods entering the EU market (products covered by the 71 decrees listed in Annex 1 of the new regulation) must have an economic operator in the EU (referred to as "Economic Operator" in the regulation) as the person in charge of commodity compliance; if there is no designated person in charge, it will be considered non-compliant and the goods will not be able to enter the EU market normally.
Germany
GS certified
GS certification is based on Germany's "Product Safety Law", in accordance with the European Union unified standard EN or German industrial standard DIN for testing voluntary certification, is recognized in the European market German safety certification mark. However, it should be noted that while the product meets the GS certification, it must also meet the requirements of the EU CE certification.
In addition, the German Bundestag passed a draft law amending the Product Safety Act on 20 May 2021, effective 30 July 2021. The most important changes in the Amendment Act are in Article 20 of the Product Safety Act, which deals with amendments to the application process and clarifies who can apply for the GS Mark under what circumstances, i.e. applicants who are not within the scope of the Eu or the European Free Trade Association, and the GS Mark application can only be made by their authorized agent or importer.
United Kingdom
UKCA certified
On 31 December 2020, the UK officially left the European Union. UKCA certification of the UK Toys (Safety) Regulations was amended and fully operational on 1 January 2021. On 24 August 2021, the UK government published the latest notice on the ukca mark requirements on the official website: the period of non-use of the CE mark in the UK market (including England, Scotland and Wales, but not applicable to Northern Ireland) originally scheduled for 1 January 2022 has been extended to 1 January 2023. However, it should be noted that this notice is based on the premise that the regulations of the UK and the EU are still the same, that is, if the EU updates its regulations and the CE marking on the manufacturer's product complies with the new regulations, then these CE marking products will not be accepted by the UK market. From 1 January 2023, products entering the UK market must be marked with the UKCA mark in accordance with the regulations.
United States
"CPSC Certification + UL Certification + FCC Certification"
CpSC (Consumer Product Safety Committee) is an important consumer protection agency in the United States, the Consumer Product Safety Commission. CPC (Children's Product Certificate) is the Children's Product Certificate. The United States requires manufacturers and importers to certify in writing that their children's products comply with their applicable U.S. safety regulations based on a conformity test report issued by a CPSC-accredited laboratory that meets the requirements of CPSIA and ASTM F963-17, and toys and children's products sold to the United States must have a CPC.
In addition to regulatory testing to meet CPC requirements, related products sold to the U.S. market for use by children under the age of 12 must also comply with tracking label requirements. This is aimed at ensuring that in the event of a product problem, consumers can trace the responsible party to deal with the relevant compliance issues. Therefore, both packaging and products must have traceability labels (except for exemptions). In the case of durable goods for infants and toddlers, the relevant requirements of the Product Registration Card must also be met.
In addition to obtaining CPSC certification, some toys also need to apply for UL certification and FCC certification.
UL certification is a shorthand for the certification made by underwriter laboratories in the United States, which is an optional certification in the United States, mainly related to the testing and certification of product safety performance.
The FCC, the full name of the Federal Communications Commission, coordinates domestic and international communications by controlling radio, television, telecommunications, satellites, and cables. Many radio applications, communications products, and digital products requiring FCC approval to enter the U.S. market. Its applicable product range includes: personal computers and their peripherals, household appliances and equipment, power tools, audio and video products, lamps, wireless products, toy products, security products, industrial machinery, etc.
Russian Federation and surrounding countries
EAC certified
EAC certification is the CU-TR Customs Union Technical Specification Certification, which came into effect on January 1, 2011 and has been officially implemented since January 1, 2012. EAC certification is applicable to Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia, and can be divided into EAC certificate of conformity and EAC certificate of conformity. Products exported to the above five countries must obtain EAC certification in order to be freely sold and circulated.
Japan
"JFSL Certification + ST Certification"
Toys entering Japan must comply with the Japanese Food Sanitation Act (JFSL), and some products must comply with the Japanese Toy Safety Standard (ST Standard). JFSL certification is a mandatory requirement for toys for children under the age of 6, and the ST standard is a voluntary standard for toys for children under the age of 14 developed by the Japan Toy Association (JTA). For st standards, the ST logo can only be displayed if the toy meets its requirements.
Korea
KC certified
According to the requirements of the Industrial Product Quality Management and Safety Control Act issued by South Korea, toys entering Korea must comply with the KC certification of the self-regulatory safety confirmation system and have the KC mark to enter the market.
India
ISI certification
In early 2020, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of India officially issued the Toys (Quality Control) Act 2020. According to the requirements of the act, when the toy products included in the mandatory scope are sold in India, they must meet the certification process and technical standards of India, and the ISI certification mark is mandatorily affixed, that is, to obtain ISI certification.
The authority for ISI accreditation in India is the Bureau of Indian Standards, formerly known as the India Standards Institution. At present, more than 180 products have been included in the mandatory list of ISI certification in India, and these products must obtain ISI certification before they can be legally sold in India.
Some Gulf countries
GCC certified
GCC is an acronym for Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes seven countries: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Yemen.
GCC implements a technical regulation (BD-131704-01) for toys, and all toys manufactured or imported in the above member countries must meet the requirements listed in this technical regulation. The importer shall have the safety test of each imported toy by the certification body. Specific categories of toy products are subject to GCC certification issued by designated certification bodies. Manufacturers and importers are obliged to comply with the requirements of technical regulations and to affix the GC marking mark on their products. A product bearing the GC marking mark indicates that the product has complied with the requirements of the GCC technical regulations and can be circulated among GCC member states.
It should also be noted that Saudi Arabia also has SASO certification requirements for toy products, so exporting toy products to Saudi Arabia must first do GCC certification, and then do SASO certification or SABER certification to clear customs.
Brazil
Inmetro certified
Brazil implements mandatory Inmetro certification for toys. Products that meet Brazilian standards and other technical requirements must be affixed with the mandatory Inmetro mark and the mark of an accredited third-party certification body to prove that the product or product series meets the requirements of Brazil and can enter the Brazilian market. However, it should be noted that some products may require additional market access requirements, and the ABNT national standards can be paid attention to.
Indonesia
SNI certified
Indonesia's New National Standard for Toys, which came into full force on April 30, 2014, not only requires toy companies exporting to Indonesia to enforce compliance with the new Indonesian national standard SNI Regulation 24/M-IND/PER/4/2013, but also requires toys under specific tariff codes to enforce national standards. Specifically, the customs declaration form for products covered by the standards received by the Indonesian Customs requires the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) document to be attached and must be marked with the SNI mark. If the regulations are not met, the goods will be returned and will not be able to enter the Indonesian market.
Text / Zhang Huayang Wang Xuan Lin Penghui Qi Zhimin Zhang Haiqiang
(Author Affilications:Shantou Customs Technical Center)
Editor: Chang Xiangjing
Reviewer: Gao Yang
Producer: China Customs Media Center
Submission email: [email protected]
(Xiumi contribution account with the same email)