Formaldehyde Regulations in the United States: An Overview

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Products and materials containing formaldehyde are subject to various regulations in the United States. Selling products that contain this substance above the set limits can result in a recall, or trigger other requirements. This limit depends on the product, materials, or the US state you sell in.

This guide serves as an introduction to formaldehyde requirements in the United States for various products and materials. We also explain what formaldehyde is, and which products and materials are more likely to contain this substance.

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Formaldehyde Regulations in the European Union: An Overview

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Formaldehyde can be found by various products, including wooden products, plastics, and cosmetics. Due to its toxicity, there are regulations in the European Union that restrict the content or release of formaldehyde.

As such, importers and manufacturers of products that contain or can contain formaldehyde must ensure that their products comply with the applicable regulations, directives, and standards that limit its the use. This can generally be assessed by performing the necessary testing.

In this guide, we explain what formaldehyde is, and which regulations restrict its usage, release, or emission. We also provide examples of relevant standards, and explain why lab testing is necessary.
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US Law Label Requirements For Importers: A Complete Guide

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US law labels are mandatory for stuffed products in most US states. Such products can include beddings, stuffed toys, bean bags, and other stuffed products. The purpose of a law label is to inform the consumer of the filling material.

However, what makes this requirement somewhat complex is that law labels are regulated on a state level. Hence, the product scope, labeling, and registration requirements differ between states.

Methodology: This guide is primarily based on law labeling requirements in California, under Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation Act Rules and Regulations.
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STURDY Act – Safety Requirements for Clothing Storage Units

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STURDY Act
The STURDY Act mandates the CPSC to establish a mandatory safety standard protecting young children from potential injury or death resulting from clothing or storage units tipping over. The act also requires the standard to contain stability tests and product warning label requirements.

In this guide, we explain when and why the STURDY Act was signed into law, and its requirements concerning testing and warnings. We also cover the ASTM F2057 requirements, which was adopted as mandatory safety standard by the CPSC, as a result of the STURDY Act.
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Candle Safety Standards and Regulations in the US: An Overview

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Candles

Candles sold in the United States are subject to various regulations, safety standards, labeling, and other compliance requirements. In this guide we take a closer look into 16 CFR Part 1500.17, ASTM standards, California Proposition 65, country of origin marking, and other compliance requirements that US candle manufacturers and importers must keep track of.

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Candle Safety Standards and Regulations in the EU: An Overview

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Candles

Candles imported to and manufactured in the European Union are subject to various regulations, safety standards, chemical restrictions, labelling, and testing requirements. In this guide, we cover the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation, EN standards, REACH, GPSD, and other compliance requirements for various types of candles in the EU.

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Flammable Fabrics Act (FFA) Guide For United States Importers

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Shirts

The Flammable Fabrics Act (FFA) regulates flammability in clothing, carpets, mattresses, and other products – either manufactured in or imported to the United States. In this guide, we explain how the FFA works and what you must do to ensure compliance.
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Prefab Home Regulations & Safety Standards in the United States

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Prefab Home Regulations in the United States

Thinking of importing or manufacturing prefabricated homes for the US market? Although a unifying building code standard for prefabricated homes does not exist yet, there are regulations and safety standards that should be observed.

Construction products that are commonly referred to as “prefabricated” include:

  • Kit homes
  • Modular homes
  • Stick-built homes
  • Prefabricated panels
  • Manufactured homes

However, from a legal point of view, there are two types of prefabricated homes:

  • Those that follow federal laws (legally known as “manufactured homes”)
  • Those that follow local state laws and codes (legally known as “modular homes”).

In this article, we present various legislation, codes, and safety standards that are relevant to the prefabricated housing market in the United States.

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Furniture Regulations and Standards in the United Kingdom

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Are you importing or manufacturing furniture products in the United Kingdom? Depending on the furniture, certain regulations may apply to your product and require you to have your product tested and labelled in a particular manner.

In this article, we cover relevant safety regulations and standards affecting various furniture products placed in the UK, such as the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations or the Timber and Timber Products Placing on the Market Regulations. This article does not apply to Northern Ireland as they follow EU rules.

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Prefab House Regulations & Safety Standards in the European Union

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Prefab House Regulations in the EU

Prefabricated houses, or prefab homes, refer to construction products that are constructed off-site and transported to the building site to be completely assembled. In this guide, we present what importers and manufacturers must know about regulations and safety standards relevant to the prefab housing market in the European Union.

Construction products that are commonly referred to as “prefabricated” include:

  • Kit homes
  • Modular shipping container homes
  • Prefabricated panels
  • Mobile homes

This guide does not cover electrical appliances (like fridges, or air conditioners). However, we include information about electrical installations (such as electrical wiring).

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