In April, journalists from China Quality Daily have interviewed C&K Testing about export barriers suffered by children’s products in 2015. During the interview, Ms. Laura Ho, Manager of Operations Department, focuses on the following aspects: briefing on recalls of Chinese children’s products that exported to the EU, US, Japan and South Korea, and notifications of such recalls; summary of imported products that fall short of Chinese standards as publicised by AQSIQ in 2015. She hopes the information may be of help to exporters and importers.

Report as below:
As the major supplier of children’s products for the US and EU, children’s products industry in China has received increasing attention. Hangzhou C&K Testing Technic Co., Ltd (“C&K Testing”), a professional provider for third-party testing, certification and chemical regulation in domestic China, makes a summary of trade barriers that children’s products suffered during their export, which turns out chemical, choking and environmental hazards are the major barriers.

According to the data published by Chinese customs, there is an obvious increase in export of toys in China and the US is still the largest market for Chinese toys and children’s products followed by the EU. Meanwhile, the trade barriers and market surveillance of all countries are quite stringent. However, the enforcement on products also indicates economic losses of a large number of enterprises.

Ms. Ho says that US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has published 2,228 LOA including 1,745 Chinese products. According to analysis of C&K Testing, there are at least 1,197 out of 2,228 LOA targeting at toys.

Labelling is the top issue for LOA in 2015 and the product third-party testing certificate comes in the second place. As for specific hazards, choking caused by small parts is the most severe, and lead content also deserves attention of all importers. CPSC has recalled 59 children’s products in 2015 including 5 toys whose small parts will lead to choking and two other products due to dangerous levels of lead. Besides, there are 7 batches of children’s pajamas recalled due to increasing concern on the flame retardant property. Electric shock, strangulation and drowning are also giving rise to recalls of some products.

EU, another targeted market of Chinese children’s products, had validated 1,856 products through Rapid Alert System for dangerous non-food products (RAPEX), including 468 notifications on toys and 72 notifications on child care products, sum of which accounts for 40% of total notifications. The products notified mainly include toys, cribs, children’s footwear, convertible baby carriages, highchairs, baby chairs and table chairs.

In 2015, EU RAPEX hadvalidated toy notifications due to burning, chemical, choking, laceration, damage to hearing, damage to sight, environmental, entrapment, injuries, strangulation, suffocation abd microbial hazards. Among the above hazards, the most frequently notified hazards are chemical (38%), choking (38%) and injuries (12%), accounting for almost 90% of all hazards. Meanwhile, child care articles are notified through RAPEX system for chemical, choking, environmental, entrapment, injuries, strangulation and suffocation. Among the above hazards, the most frequently notified hazards is injuries (41%) and choking (28%), the sum of which accounting for more than half of all hazards.

Ms. Ho reminds Chinese toy exporters to ensure their products comply with Toys Safety Directive 2009/48/EC and REACH regulation while child care articles exporters shall be in conformity of other European standards.

In addition, the data from Japan reveal that there were 23 recalls of children’s products in 2015: toys (7), children’s wear (8), child car seats (3) and other children’s products (5). Among the 8 recalls of children’s wear, 3 are caused by excessive levels of formaldehyde. South Korea has recalled 382 products, 151 of which are children’s products (majority are toys and children’s wear). The reason for such recall largely lies in chemical hazards (120 out of 151 cases), including: dangerous levels of phthalates, lead, nickel release, formaldehyde, benzene and other volatile compounds. Ms. Ho also says that these surveillance data of the major trading countries can provide a reference for operators of children’s products.

Furthermore, C&K Testing also makes an analysis on imported products that non-compliant with Chinese standards as published by General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China (AQSIQ) in 2015. The statistics show that AQSIQ has published 1,158 batches of non-compliant products, and 142 batches are children’s products. All notifications on children’s products cover: toys, children’s textiles, nappies, child car seats and food contact materials for children. Children’s textiles and toys are the majority among all notifications. 78% toys are returned resulting from failing to provide CCC certificate; while for children’s textiles, colour fastness is the top issue which is followed by formaldehyde and pH value; failure of providing material licenses, evaporation residues, migration of heavy metals are also quite frequent. Ms. Ho says AQSIQ has guaranteed the safety of imported products and advises importers and foreign traders should learn about the rules for China market access.

If you are interested, click the link below to download “Analysis Report on Trade Barrier Data for Children’s Products in 2015” for more information.