Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

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

Ref : EIC 111/2/20, EIC 111/2/21

10 March 2011

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 159/2011

US : CPSC's Notice on Reopening the Hearing Record on the Technological Feasibility of meeting the 100 ppm Lead Content Limit for Children's Products 

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued in the Federal Register (FR) notice of 9 March 2011 a notice to announce the reopening of the hearing record on the technological feasibility of meeting the 100 parts per million (ppm) lead content limit for children's products and to invite public comments on additional questions raised at the public hearing held on 16 February 2011. Interested parties may submit comments and information in response to this notice to the CPSC by 24 March 2011. The FR notice which is available at: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2011/pdf/2011-5231.pdf.

DETAILS

2.Section 101(a) of the US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) provides that, for products designed or intended primarily for children of 12 years old and younger, the total lead content limit by weight in any part of a children's product will further be reduced to 100 ppm with effect from 14 August 2011, unless the CPSC determines that it is not technologically feasible to have this lower limit for a product or product category after notice and a hearing and after analyzing the public health protections associated with substantially reducing lead in children's products. If the CPSC determines that the 100 ppm lead content limit is not technically feasible for a product or product category, the CPSC shall, by regulation, establish the lowest amount below 300 ppm that it determines technically feasible.

3.In this connection, the CPSC invited public comments and information in July 2010 and held a public hearing on 16 February 2011 regarding the technological feasibility of meeting the 100 ppm lead content limit. The CPSC now reopens the hearing record (http://www.regulations.gov/#!searchResults;rpp=10;po=0;s=CPSC-2010-0080) to invite further comments and information in response to the additional questions raised by individual CPSC Commissioners at the hearing until 24 March 2011. 

ENQUIRIES

4.For enquiries concerning this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5682.

Yours faithfully,

(Miss Carmen CHAN)

for Director-General of Trade and Industry