Category: Compliance Strategy

Alibaba suppliers often upload lab test reports and product certificates on their company pages. Some buyers assume that this indicates that the supplier in question is by default “compliant” or “certified” in the sense that they exclusively make products in compliance with safety standards and regulations in the US, EU, and other countries.

However, this is far from the truth – and misunderstanding what test documents mean spells disaster for importers that are less experienced with product compliance. Continue reading Test Reports and Product Certificates on Alibaba: A Complete Guide

ISO 17025 is a globally recognized standard aiming at determining the capability of testing and calibration laboratories. It serves the purpose of demonstrating the competency of lab activities, such as providing accurate and timely results.

Using an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory can also help importers and manufacturers to ensure that their products’ testing results are reliable. Also, some marketplaces such as Amazon only accept ISO 17025 accredited labs, for certain product listings.

In this guide, we introduce the scope of ISO 17025, the accreditation process, and list some ISO 17025 accredited laboratories.
Continue reading ISO 17025 Accreditation for Product Testing Labs: A Complete Guide

If you’re reading this article you’re likely a dropshipping seller worried about the prospect of unknowingly selling unsafe and non-compliant products. If you ask me, you have reason to be.

There’s are far more questions than answers when it comes to product safety and compliance when it comes to dropshipping. As such, I wrote this article as a reflection on my experience with both sellers and suppliers in the dropshipping world.

Important: This article is not aimed at any particular dropshipping supplier, online marketplace, or service. This article only raises broad and general issues related to product compliance and dropshipping. Continue reading Dropshipping Product Safety and Compliance Risks: An Overview

Product testing and certification may seem overly expensive and bothersome for some importers. That said, selling unsafe and non-compliant products is not only a severe risk for the consumers in your target market but also something that can massively backfire on your own business.

Keep reading, and learn what can happen if you fail to ensure compliance with all relevant safety standards, certification requirements, and labeling rules. Continue reading Selling Unsafe and Non-Compliant Products: 7 Potential Outcomes

Private label products – also known as Original Design Manufacturing (ODM) products – are based on pre-existing tooling (e.g. injection molds) but carrying the customer’s logo. In recent years, private label products have been especially popular among Amazon sellers and other importers that don’t have the resources or expertise to develop their own products.

Some sellers are also under the impression that private label (ODM) products give them a free pass when it comes to ensuring that the product is fully compliant. This is not the case, as private label products are covered by the same safety standards, labeling, and documentation requirements as other products.

Keep reading, and learn what works and what doesn’t when it comes to product safety and compliance for private label (ODM) products. Continue reading Safety and Compliance When Selling Private Label (ODM) Products

Product compliance can be expensive. Consultants and lab testing services can cost thousands of dollars. As such, suppliers have an incentive to cut corners by either creating or buying fake lab test reports and product certificates – for a fraction of what it would cost to do it the right way.

As I write this, we’re in the midst of an enormous medical supplies gold rush. Suppliers and buyers alike are desperate the capitalize on the only booming industry in existence today.

We do a lot of supplier screenings involving document checks. Never before have I seen so many bogus test reports, “CE certificates” and other deceptive documents. That being said, I’ve dealt with this problem for almost ten years now – so it’s certainly not new. Continue reading Fake Product Certificates and Test Reports: An Essential Guide