Electronic products sold in the European Union are subject to various product regulations and directives, which in turn set labelling requirements. In this guide, we list several key EU electronics labelling requirements concerning compliance marks, traceability information, warnings, and more.
Continue reading Electronics Labelling Requirements in the European Union
If you import or manufacture fishing gear in the United States, you should comply with several regulations, such as California Proposition 65 and CPSIA, which applies to children’s products.
Compliance is important because unsafe fishing gear may harm or injure workers and consumers. For instance, fishing gear may contain restricted substances above the allowed limits, such as lead. As another example, fishing gear intended for children may pose choking hazards due to small parts.
This guide examines how regulations such as those mentioned above apply to fishing gear in the United States.
Continue reading Fishing Gear Regulations in the United States: An Overview
This article covers many of the key steps that must be followed to CE mark machinery in accordance with the requirements laid out in the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230. This guide is relevant for products that belong to the following categories:
This guide is based on the requirements applicable to machinery, not partly completed machinery.
Continue reading How to CE Mark a Machine in 5 Steps
Containers and cargo shipments arriving in the European Union are sometimes subject to product compliance checks. When this happens, you can only secure a release by providing documentation demonstrating compliance with applicable EU regulations and directives.
In this guide, we explain why shipments are rejected by the customs authorities in EU member states and what steps you can take to resolve the situation.
Continue reading EU Customs Rejected Your Shipment? A Step-by-Step Guide for Importers
The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) regulates products that are intended for children aged 12 and younger. The requirements of the CPSIA apply to various categories of children’s products, including toys and durable infant or toddler products, such as play yards and high chairs.
This guide provides examples of children’s products covered by the CPSIA and examples of safety rules and standards related to each product category. Note, however, that the CPSIA regulates all products that are intended for children, not only the products that are listed in this guide or for which there exists a specific safety rule.
Methodology
1. This guide lists products regulated by existing children’s product safety rules “requiring third-party testing and a children’s product certificate”, as listed on the CPSC’s relevant guidance document. It also lists children’s footwear, jewelry, and school and stationery items, even though we could not find any specific safety rules for these products listed in the guidance document.
2. Besides listing products, each section of this guide lists the safety rules that we could find that apply to the mentioned product categories. Note that:
a. Other relevant safety rules and standards may exist, besides the ones listed in this guide
b. Some rules apply to many different types of products, such as 16 CFR part 1501, which covers small parts.
c. Some rules cover substance restrictions (e.g., lead or phthalates). As such, they are relevant for many product categories. We found the following three:
d. Besides listing all the safety rules provided in the CPSC’s guidance document, this guide also lists some additional safety rules and standards, such as 16 CFR Part 1120 and ASTM F2412.
e. Some of the listed products are deemed to be durable infant or toddler products, for which additional requirements apply. In this case, we mention this information in the guide.
Continue reading List of Products Covered by CPSIA: An Overview
California Proposition 65 sets substance restrictions and warning labeling requirements for products sold in California. You must either ensure that the product does not contain restricted substances above the set limits or affix a warning label informing consumers of potentially harmful substance contents.
This guide lists examples of product categories covered by California Proposition 65 and examples of restricted substances that may be present in such products.
Methodology
This guide is primarily based on products that are mentioned on www.p65warnings.ca.gov. The website contains:
a. Fact sheets covering specific product categories (e.g., “motor vehicle parts”), or;
b. Fact sheets covering specific substances (e.g., lead and lead compounds), which, in turn, provide examples of products that may contain restricted substances (e.g., ceramic dishes)
Note that these are not necessarily all products covered by California Proposition 65. Our understanding is that there is no definitive product list. Instead, California Proposition 65 is concerned with substances, rather than specific products. That being said, this guide can still help you form a clear understanding of which products are subject to California Proposition 65 and their respective substance risks.
Continue reading List of Products Covered by California Proposition 65: An Overview
Product testing and certification can be expensive. Consultants and lab testing services can charge 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.
In many, if not most, cases, suppliers are not even aware of the fact that the compliance documents are invalid.
The unfortunate result is that businesses buy non-compliant and unsafe products on the basis of fake test reports and certificates. This has the direct effect of exposing their own business to financial ruin and their customers to potentially lethal products. Think exploding phone chargers and toxic toys.
This guide explains what you can do to identify fake test reports, certificates, and other compliance documents.
Continue reading Fake Product Certificates and Test Reports: An Essential Guide
This guide explains how to create technical documentation for toys, in accordance with Annex IV of the Toy Safety Directive. The format and information included in the technical documentation depend on the toy product and whether or not you follow EN 71 parts or other harmonised standards.
Toy Safety Regulation: The Directive will be replaced by a newer Toy Safety Regulation. You can find information about the new regulation and related technical documentation requirements in this guide.
Continue reading EU Technical Documentation Requirements for Toys
The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) sets requirements for materials and products covered by listed CN codes in Annex I. This includes both raw materials and certain types of finished products.
This guide lists commodities and product categories which are within the scope of such CN codes, and therefore covered by the EUDR.
Methodology
1. This guide lists the commodities covered by Annex I of the EU Deforestation Regulation. For each commodity, we list all the covered CN codes, relevant product categories, and product examples for each CN code / product category.
2. A CN code is an eight-digit commodity code used to classify goods in the EU. CN codes are set out in Regulation (EEC) 2658/87.
3. The tables in this guide only list examples of covered products, as found in Regulation (EEC) 2658/87. You can find the full list of products for each CN code in Regulation (EEC) 2658/87.
Continue reading Which products are covered by the EUDR?
Products subject to certain mandatory product safety rules must be covered by a General Certificate of Conformity (GCC). This guide explains how you can determine whether a General Certificate of Conformity is required for your product. We also provide examples of products subject to this requirement.
Continue reading Which Products Require a General Certificate of Conformity (GCC)?
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