Category: United States

Cables imported and manufactured in the United States are subject to various regulations and safety standards. Compliance with applicable regulations and standards is essential, as unsafe cables may cause fires, electrical shocks, or damage other devices.

This guide takes a close look at how regulations such as 47 CFR Part 15 and 16 CFR Part 1120 apply to cables in the United States. You will also learn why voluntary UL and ASTM standards are important to consider when importing or manufacturing cables.

Product examples

• USB cables
• Power cords
• Extension cords
• Optical fiber cables

Continue reading Cable Regulations in the United States: An Overview

Drones and unmanned aircraft systems imported or manufactured in the United States are subject to various regulations and standards. In this guide, we take a closer look at regulations specific to drones and requirements applicable to components such as lithium batteries.

Note: This guide primarily focuses on product requirements, not operational requirements or requirements for pilots. However, we do mention operational requirements in the section concerning “Other rules”, as we thought it was important to at least mention geofencing requirements, and put them into the context of other airspace restrictions.

Continue reading Drone Regulations in the United States: A Complete Guide

Part 1263 sets safety requirements concerning button cell batteries and coin batteries. The standard applies both to consumer products that contain such batteries and battery packaging. Ensuring compliance requires that the product battery compartment is designed according to certain mechanical safety requirements and that warning labeling is affixed to the product and packaging.
Continue reading Part 1263 – Safety Standard for Button Cell Batteries: A Complete Guide

Part 1262 sets magnet safety requirements for consumer products that belong to certain categories, and that contain magnets with certain size and strength characteristics. In this guide, we explain what manufacturers and importers must know about covered products, exemptions, magnet requirements, certification, and testing requirements under Part 1262.

Note that Part 1262 is not applicable to toys. Instead, sets magnet safety requirements for other consumer products – including those that are not intended for children.
Continue reading Part 1262 – Safety Standard for Magnets: A Complete Guide

Plumbing fixtures sold in the United States are subject to various regulations, such as 40 CFR Part 143 Subpart B, and standards. These regulations and standards, in turn, set requirements regarding substance restrictions, labeling, testing, and more.

It is essential that you ensure your plumbing fixtures do not pose risks to consumers, as unsafe plumbing fixtures may, for instance, expose them to lead and other harmful substances.

This guide explains how different regulations and standards apply to plumbing products such as faucets and urinals sold in the United States.

Product examples

• Kitchen faucets
• Showerheads
• Urinals
• Water closets

Continue reading Plumbing Fixture Regulations in the United States: An Overview

ASTM standards set technical specifications for consumer products and materials. Some ASTM standards are mandatory due to being incorporated by reference in US regulations. In this guide, we explain how you can determine if compliance with ASTM standards is necessary and answer other common questions related to ASTM standards.
Continue reading What are ASTM standards?

Planning to sell products in the United States? Your first step should always be to find all relevant US regulations and standards that may apply. This is all publicly available information on the eCFR and the various US government agency websites. The only problem is that there is too much information to process, assuming you even know where to start.

In this guide, I explain the methods we use to:

1. Identify relevant US regulations and standards

2. Determine if a certain type of company is responsible (i.e., manufacturer or private labeler)

3. Determine what we must actually do to comply (once we know which CFRs apply)

Note: This guide does not cover ASTM standards, ANSI standards, or UL standards. Standards in this context refer to standards published in the eCFR.
Continue reading How to Find US Product Regulations and Standards

Batch numbers are mandatory for some products sold in the United States. That said, even if you sell products for which batch numbers are not mandated, affixing one can help you limit product recalls to specific production runs.

In this guide, we examine batch number requirements in the United States, format options, and how batch numbers relate to product recalls.
Continue reading Guide to Batch Number Requirements in the United States

Entrepreneurs selling handicrafts and handmade products on Etsy and other marketplaces are, in general, subject to product safety, labelling, certification, and testing requirements. While compliance requirements still apply, certain methods can help you reduce the burden of high testing fees and complex requirements. That said, this can only be applied to certain product categories.

In this guide, we take a closer look at some of the key challenges faced by sellers of handicrafts and handmade products in the United States, and what you can do in practice to comply.

Handicraft examples

• Vases
• Home decoration
• Earthenware
• Woven textiles
• Wooden crafts
• Necklaces and bracelets
• Baskets
• Artworks

Handmade product examples

• Plush toys
• Baby carriers
• Art prints
• Handmade furniture

Continue reading Regulations For Handicrafts and Handmade Products in the US