General Product Safety Directive (GPSD): An Overview

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All products sold in the EU must be safe for consumer to use, even if no specific directive, regulation or standard exist for the product in question. This is also the purpose of the General Product Safety Directive (GPSD).

Note that, even if you sell products that are mainly covered by other regulations (e.g. electronics, which are covered by several CE marking directives) it is still possible that the GPSD still apply for some aspects, such as mechanical safety.

In this guide, we explain what producers must know about harmonised standards, documentation, labelling, and lab testing.

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Toy Safety Directive: An Essential Guide for Importers and Manufacturers

Posted on by Yvette Shen — 8 Comments

Toys sold in the European Union must comply with the Toy Safety Directive, which sets some of the strictest toy safety requirements in the world.

Ensuring compliance with the Toy Safety Directive requires following certain safety standards, documentation, labelling, and lab testing requirements.

In this guide, we explain what importers and manufacturers must know about harmonised standards, technical documentation, conformity assessment procedures, CE marking, lab testing, and other requirements under the Toy Safety Directive.
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EU Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS): An Essential Guide

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The RoHS Directive restricts chemicals and heavy metals in electronic components, solder, and materials (e.g. casing). It applies to electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) imported or manufactured in the European Union.

The requirements of the RoHS directive go beyond substance restrictions. More specifically, the directive also covers CE marking and other labelling requirements, documentation, and lab testing.
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Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive: An Essential Guide

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The Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive covers electric and electronic equipment that may cause electromagnetic interference with other devices, or that might be disturbed by the electromagnetic field created by other devices.

Some types of electronic devices, such as quartz watches, do not fall under the scope of the directive because they are considered “inherently benign”, in the sense that they do not interfere and are not affected by other devices.

In this guide, we cover what EU importers and manufacturers must know about the directive, including harmonised standards, labelling, documentation, and lab testing requirements.
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Low Voltage Directive (LVD): An Essential Guide

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The Low Voltage Directive (LVD) aims to ensure the safety of electrical and electronic products with an input or output voltage within a certain range. Generally speaking, the Low Voltage Directive applies to devices and their power supply units that can be plugged into the power socket. Hence, it covers both consumer electronics and AC adapters.

In this guide, we explain what importers and manufacturers must know concerning the directive’s safety standards, labelling, documentation, and other requirements.
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FCC Unintentional Radiators: A Practical Guide

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An unintentional radiator is defined by the FCC as a device that uses electrical radio frequency signals within the product or sends these signals to associated equipment via connecting wiring.

For instance, a wired mouse would fall under the previous description. This is in contrast to wireless devices, which are generally considered to be intentional radiators.

Both unintentional and intentional radiators are regulated under 47 CFR Part 15, even though the requirements are different.

This guide covers the requirements of 47 CFR Part 15 for unintentional radiators, including product scope, exemptions, authorization procedure, labeling, documentation, and testing.
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California Proposition 65 Guide for US Importers & Amazon Sellers

Posted on by Yvette Shen — 2 Comments

California Proposition 65 restricts heavy metals, phthalates, and other substances in consumer products sold in California. it also sets warning label requirements.

In this guide, we explain what importers, manufacturers, and Amazon sellers must know about restricted substances, warning labeling, lab testing, and compliance risks.
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Heavy Metals Regulations in the United States: An Overview

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Children’s products, cosmetics, food contact materials, and many other consumer products are subject to heavy metal restrictions. Examples of restricted heavy metals include lead, cadmium, and mercury.

In this article, we cover several regulations that restrict or ban heavy metals, including the CPSIA, the FHSA, and the TSCA.
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Country of Origin Requirements in the United States: An Overview

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Country of origin marking is mandatory for consumer products imported and sold in the United States. It is often as straightforward as printing “Made in China” or “Made in Mexico” on the product and its packaging. That being said, there are exceptions for some products, and it’s sometimes not that simple to determine the actual country of origin.

In this guide, we explain what importers and manufacturers must know about the country of origin marking rules in the United States, including product exceptions, origin rules, and placement.
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Heavy Metals Regulations in the European Union: An Overview

Posted on by Yvette Shen — 5 Comments

Products ranging from jewellery and watch cases to electronic components and toy paints may contain heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and mercury. The European Union strictly regulates – and in some cases, prohibits – the usage of these substances, due to their toxicity.

In this article, we summarise several EU regulations and directives covering heavy metals, including REACH, the RoHS Directive, and the Toy Safety Directive.
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