EU Customs Rejected Your Shipment? A Step-by-Step Guide for Importers

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EU Customs Rejected Your Shipment? A Step-by-Step Guide for Importers

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.
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List of Products Covered by CPSIA: An Overview

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CPSIA Products List

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:

  • 16 CFR Part 1303 – Ban of Lead-Containing Paint and Certain Consumer Products Bearing Lead-Containing Paint
  • 16 CFR Part 1307 – Prohibition of Children’s Toys and Child Care Articles Containing Specified Phthalates
  • 15 U.S.C. § 1278a – Children’s products containing lead; lead paint rule

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.

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List of Products Covered by California Proposition 65: An Overview

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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.

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Fake Product Certificates and Test Reports: An Essential Guide

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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.
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EU Technical Documentation Requirements for Toys

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EU Technical Documentation Requirements for Toys

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.
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Which products are covered by the EUDR?

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Products are covered by the EUDR

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.
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Which Products Require a General Certificate of Conformity (GCC)?

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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.
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How to Create a General Certificate of Conformity (GCC) in 7 Steps

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This guide explains how to create a General Certificate of Conformity (GCC) in 7 steps based on the standard CPSC sample structure. Each point explains what information to include, complete with examples of the different formats that can be used.

Note that this guide is written based on the assumption that you lack the capability to perform your own testing according to applicable product safety rules and must therefore use a third-party testing company.
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EU Technical Documentation Requirements for Electronic Products

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EU Technical Documentation Requirements for Electronic Products
Technical documentation is generally required for electronics covered by one or more EU regulations or directives mandating CE marking. In this guide, we use technical documentation requirements listed in the Low Voltage Directive as a case study demonstrating how to create technical documentation for electronic and electrical products sold in the European Union.

We also address common questions about technical documentation for electronic products in the FAQ section.
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Which Products Require a Children’s Product Certificate (CPC)?

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Creating a Children’s Product Certificate (CPC) is mandatory if your product is determined to be a children’s product and subject to one or more children’s product safety rules. In this guide, we explain how you can assess if this is the case, while also providing examples of products that require a Children’s Product Certificate in the United States.
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