Compliance
ASTM F963 vs EN 71 — What to Confirm Before You Approve a Toy Order
US and EU toy safety compared side by side, plus the five confirmations most often missed: SKU-scoped files, age grading, sample traceability, the UK path, and audits vs safety tests.
Side by side
| United States | European Union | |
|---|---|---|
| Framework | CPSIA + ASTM F963 (mandatory) | Toy Safety Directive + harmonized EN 71 |
| Core standard | ASTM F963-23 | EN 71 parts 1 (mechanical/physical), 2 (flammability), 3 (migration) |
| Document | CPC (Children's Product Certificate) | CE marking + Declaration of Conformity |
| Tracking | Tracking label requirements | Batch marking; importer duties |
| Chemical scope | Phthalates, lead limits | REACH interplay; part 3 migration |
The confirmations that actually matter
- Files are scoped to the SKU — a factory-wide certificate is wallpaper. Ask for the report referencing the exact product, including battery items.
- Age grading matches your claim — the box says 3+; the report must agree. Small-parts failures are the classic shipment-killer.
- The sample tested is the sample shipped — golden-sample traceability, otherwise the paper describes a different toy.
- UK is its own path now — BS EN 71 with UKCA where applicable; do not assume CE covers GB.
- Social audits are not safety tests — keep factory compliance and product testing in separate lines of your import file.
How we run it: documents are requested and reviewed against the selected SKU and destination market at RFQ stage — before production, not after.
Keep going
Send the SKU and your market — we'll tell you exactly which files exist and which need arranging:
Quality & Compliance · Start an RFQNext step