U.S. toy safety standards update, export companies need to pay attention

CNBC News, Ningbo, September 18 (Reporter Du Jinming, Correspondent Ma Kang, Wu Jinbiao, and Qiu Xin) Recently, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) released the 2017 version of the American toy safety standard ASTM F963. The main content of this revision includes correcting the errors in the 2016 version and making other minor editing corrections; supplementing the key language that was inadvertently omitted in the 2016 version regarding the requirements for projectile toys. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), ASTM F963-17 will become a mandatory standard 180 days after ASTM notifies the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), replacing the previous ASTM F963-16, unless CPSC feedbacks that it is relevant within 90 days The amendment cannot improve toy safety. All toys sold in the United States, without exception, need to meet the requirements of the US Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) and CPSIA. CPSIA pointed out that toys circulated in the US market must compulsorily comply with ASTM F963. It is understood that the current US toy safety standard ASTM F963-16 was released in October 2016 and officially took effect on April 30, 2017. In fact, from June 12, 2012, the American ASTM F963-11 standard replaced ASTM F963-08 and became a mandatory toy safety standard. After a lapse of four years, on October 20, 2016, ASTM released the 2016 version of 'Consumer Safety Specifications-Toy Safety' (ie ASTM F963-16). In less than a year, the update of ASTM F963 to the 2017 version indicates that the United States The control of toy products is becoming more and more stringent. ASTM has now become one of the most highly recognized certification standards in the United States. It can provide product producers, users, ultimate consumers, and representatives of the government and academia involved with opportunities for exchanges and discussions in areas of common concern. , And compile standards for materials, products, systems and services. Many brands will take the initiative to do ASTM certification in the United States. ASTM F963 is a mandatory toy safety testing standard developed by the National Bureau of Standards of the United States Department of Commerce. The requirements of ASTM F963 have been introduced in the CPSIA. This standard specifies technical requirements and test methods for toys used by children under 14 years of age. It is the most important toy safety standard in the United States, and it is also a safety standard with great international influence. There are general requirements for toy products exported to the US market. In commercial practice, toys that do not meet ASTM F963 cannot enter the US market.　　 Toys are my country’s important export commodities, and the United States has always been my country’s largest export market for toys. In 2016, my country’s toy exports amounted to 18.393 billion U.S. dollars, of which 5.881 billion U.S. dollars was exported to the United States. Toy exports to the U.S. accounted for 31.97% of my country’s toy exports. The increasingly stringent toy safety requirements in the United States have a profound impact on the design, production, and management of toy export companies, leading to continuous increases in the production and testing costs of companies. In the face of these frequent invisible trade barriers, the inspection and quarantine department recommends relevant export companies: First, pay attention to important information such as the content and effective time of the US toy update regulations and standards, and do a good job of interpreting and responding to the new standards and regulations in advance. Improve the production process and quality control capabilities according to the requirements after the change; the second is to strictly carry out testing and certification, especially to prevent safety hazards from the source of structural design, raw material selection, etc., and you can entrust relevant testing agencies to conduct testing in accordance with the new standard requirements, so as to find problems early and timely Take measures to ensure that the products meet the corresponding technical safety requirements; the third is to improve the level of quality management, with safety and environmental protection as the starting point, and gradually establish and improve the raw and auxiliary material management and design and production management systems, and realize the transformation and development of the enterprise by continuously improving the product level .　　Author: 　Editor: Real-time news　　Keywords:　Toys Safety USA　　Recommended reading: Business Tiger Club