Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

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

Ref : EIC 411/2

26 April 2011

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 241/2011

Argentina : Certification Requirements for Ban on Phthalates in Toys and Childcare Articles

Traders were informed via Commercial Information Circular No. 343/2010 of 29 July 2010 that the Argentine Government allows conformity assessment bodies authorised by the Organismo Argentino de Acreditación (OAA) to certify toys and childcare articles made of flexible materials as in compliance with the phthalates ban.

2.The Argentine Government issued a Resolution (No. 2/2011) to require importers of the products concerned to present a certificate of compliance with the phthalates ban. The certificate must be issued based on the testing performed by a laboratory both accredited by the OAA and the Ministry of Health of Argentina. The accredited laboratory must carry out the certification process according to the procedures set forth in the Argentine Resolution No. 583/2008. This new certification requirement will enter into force 180 working days from the date of the Argentine Government's recognition of the first conformity assessment body. For details, please refer to the relevant Argentine Resolutions (in Spanish) which are available at:

Resolution No. 2/2011: http://infoleg.mecon.gov.ar/infolegInternet/anexos/175000-179999/177933/norma.htm
Resolution No. 583/2008: http://infoleg.mecon.gov.ar/infolegInternet/anexos/140000-144999/141403/texact.htm

3.Meanwhile, importers are required to present (i) a technical report issued by the Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Industria Plástica del Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial (Centre for Technological Research and Development of the Plastic Industry of the National Institute of Industrial Technology of Argentina/INTI-Plásticos) or (ii) a sworn statement stating that the product complies with the phthalates ban together with a certificate issued by the INTI-Plásticos stating that the importer has initiated the process to obtain the requisite technical report. In this case, the product will be allowed to be imported into Argentina but could not be used until the importer obtained the technical report issued by the INTI-Plásticos.

4.For details of the above requirements, traders are advised to consult their importers in Argentina and/or the aforesaid Argentine Resolutions.

ENQUIRIES

5.For enquiries about the content of this circular, please contact Miss S Y TANG at telephone number 2398 5405.

Yours faithfully,

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