New standards for toys and related products such as toy chests were published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), effective April 30, 2017. If you are a new importer of toys you should be aware of these regulations and what they mean for your business.

The new rules, known as ASTM F963-16, were developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials and contain substantial changes from earlier versions.

All importers as well as U.S. manufacturers of children’s products are required to issue a “Children’s Product Certificate” based on passing test results from a CPSC-approved third party laboratory. They also have a legal responsibility to report if a product is defective or presents potential hazards. For more information on the requirements CLICK HERE.

There does appear to be some discretion allowed within the enforcement of the standards. In the earliest example since the announcement of the new standards, the CPSC agreed to issue exemption in March for certain projectile toys with low energies at the request of the Toy Industry Association.

Importers are urged to become familiar with the new standards and of course, to seek more information if they are unclear about the implications. W.B. Skinner is pleased to offer assistance with these or other regulations that you may have questions on.