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Trade and Industry Department The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Brand Hong Kong - Asia world city
MY COLOUR

Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : EIC 111/2/21

14 April 2009

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 186/2009

US : Toy Safety Certification Program

The US Toy Industry Association (TIA) recently launched the first phase of the Toy Safety Certification Program (TSCP), a new safety assurance program to provide reasonable verification that toys meet applicable mandatory US toy safety standards. The TSCP includes procedures and audit mechanisms for hazard analysis, auditing factory process control and product sample testing.

DETAILS

  1. The trade was informed via Commercial Information Circular No. 139/2008 that the TIA, in conjunction with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), announced the Toy Safety Coordination Initiative (later renamed as TSCP) to seek public comments.

  2. The primary objective of the TSCP is to develop a sustainable system to enhance both the reality and public confidence that toys sold in the US market are safe. The TSCP applies to toys that are produced for sale in the US and is designed to assure that toys manufactured in any nation conform to the safety standards used and accepted by the US government and market. Applicants for toy safety certification are responsible for meeting the basic requirements of the TSCP which are: (a) hazard and risk assessment for toy product design; (b) factory process control audits by an independent audit body; and (c) production sample testing by an accredited laboratory to validate that the factory is producing toys that meet US safety standards. The above three elements will be verified or audited by accredited certification bodies.

  3. Upon successful completion of the applicable requirements (certification), the product or packaging may bear a Toy Safety Mark. This Mark will be controlled by product certification bodies that are overseen by a single accreditation body (ANSI), authorized by TIA. This Mark will help assure consumers, retailers, government agencies and others that the toy bearing the mark will comply with applicable US regulations and consensus safety standards.

  4. The first phase of implementation began in February 2009 with the launch of a web-based Electronic Certification System (ECS) that provides a comprehensive workflow to help domestic manufacturers and importers of toys to the US efficiently meet the General Certificates of Compliance requirements of the US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA). Additional components of the TSCP and its ECS will be phased in throughout 2009 in accordance with the schedule of requirements in the CPSIA.

  5. TIA has launched a website "www.toycertification.org", where traders can learn more about the TSCP. The website presents information including TSCP requirements, certification process, governance and timeline.

ENQUIRIES

  1. For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at 2398 5682.

Yours faithfully,


(Miss Bonny CHAO)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry