Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

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

Ref : EIC 111/2/21

31 July 2012

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 592/2012

US : Rhode Island Enacted Safety Guidelines for Children's Jewelry

The US state of Rhode Island enacted in June 2012 a legislation ("The Comprehensive Children's Jewelry Safety Act") that will require all children's jewelry manufactured or available for sale in Rhode Island to conform to standards promulgated by the American Society for Testing and Materials International (ASTM International).

DETAILS

2. Under the legislation, "children's jewelry" is defined as jewelry designed or intended primarily for use by children 12 years of age or younger to be worn as an item of personal ornamentation. Effective 180 days after enactment of the legislation, such children's jewelry shall meet the requirements of ASTM F2923-11: "Standard Specification for Consumer Product Safety for Children's Jewelry", as developed by ASTM International.

3.Among others, ASTM F2923-11 establishes requirements and test methods for specified elements and certain mechanical hazards in children's jewelry. It includes specifications regarding magnets, batteries, nickel, lead in paint and substrate layers, and other heavy metals in surface coatings. It also contains recommendations for age labelling and warnings etc.

4.For details including text of the legislation, please refer to the press release by the Rhode Island General Assembly: http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/News/pr1.asp?prid=8494. Further information on ASTM F2923-11 is available at ASTM International's website: http://www.astm.org/Standards/F2923.htm;
http://www.astmnewsroom.org/default.aspx?pageid=2620&year=2011&category=
Standards%2fTechnical+Committee+News.

ENQUIRIES

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

Yours faithfully,

(Miss Cindy LAU)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry