Toys and Hardlines | Monthly bulletin | July 2026

Europe

New rules for Digital Product Passport registry

On the 21 May 2026, the European Union notified the World Trade Organisation (WTO) of a proposed Commission Implementing Regulation that will establish the operational framework for the Digital Product Passport (DPP) Registry, a key component of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). The notification was submitted under reference G/TBT/N/EU/1211 through the WTO Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

The proposed 23-page Implementing Regulation establishes the technical and administrative arrangements for operating the DPP Registry. It is designed to ensure consistent implementation of DPP requirements across different product sectors and facilitate access to product information for authorities, market surveillance bodies, businesses, and consumers where applicable.

The measure will therefore affect a wide range of economic operators placing products on the EU market or putting them into service.

New EU standard for Digital Product Passport

The European Commission’s Implementing Decision of 31 July 2024 (Mandate M/604) requests the European standardisation organisations CEN, CENELEC, and ETSI to develop standards for digital product passports (DPP). This mandate addresses the development of standardised requirements for digital product passports (DPP), supporting the European Union's policies on ecodesign requirements aimed at promoting sustainable products, as well as introducing regulations concerning batteries and waste batteries. The goal is to facilitate transparency and traceability of product information throughout their lifecycle to enhance environmental sustainability. 

On the 27 May 2026, CEN published the standards for Digital Product Passport. These standards are expected to be cited in Directive 2024/1781.

Publication of guidance on the new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)

On 10 June 2026, the European Commission published an extensive guidance document to support the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on Packaging and Packaging Waste (PPWR), providing long-awaited clarification on key obligations that will apply across the EU from 12 August 2026. The guidance addresses numerous questions raised by member states, industry associations, manufacturers, retailers, and packaging stakeholders regarding the interpretation and application of the new rules.

The document emphasises that it does not create new legal obligations but explains how the Commission interprets selected provisions of the regulation related to future delegated acts, implementing acts, harmonised standards, and additional guidance.

For further information, consult the official publication on the European Commission website here.

Netherlands

The Netherlands strengthens safety requirements for food-contact ceramic products

As of 4 May 2026, the Netherlands has adopted stricter national requirements for ceramic and glass-ceramic materials intended to come into contact with food. The changes were adopted through amendments to the Dutch Commodities Act and the Regulation on Packaging and Consumer Articles (Warenwetregeling verpakkingen en gebruiksartikelen). The requirements apply to a wide range of ceramic and glass-ceramic food-contact articles, including tableware, kitchenware, cups, bowls, plates, and other products intended to come into contact with food or beverages.
It introduces tighter limits for the migration of hazardous metals as cadmium and lead, and new compliance obligations for manufacturers, importers, and distributors.

Luxembourg 

New safety requirements for food contact ceramic articles

On 25 May 2026, Luxembourg strengthened its regulatory framework for ceramic articles intended to come into contact with food, introducing significantly stricter limits for the migration of lead and cadmium. The changes were adopted through the Grand-Ducal Regulation of 19 May 2026, which amends the country's long-standing rules on food-contact ceramics. 

The revised provisions entered into force on the 29th of May 2026.

For further information, consult the official publication in the Luxembourg Official journal here.

Standard updates – consumer products

The table below summarises the most recent standard updates and upcoming dates of withdrawal (non-exhaustive):

(*) Date of withdrawal: latest date by which national standards conflicting with an EN (and HD for CENELEC) have to be withdrawn.

UK

UK Government issues guidance on EU BPA ban and implications for businesses

On the 25 June 2026, The UK Government published new guidance to help businesses understand the European Union's restrictions on Bisphenol A (BPA) in food contact materials and the potential implications for companies trading in the EU, Northern Ireland (NI), and Great Britain (GB).

Under the new regulation, products placed on the EU and the Northern Ireland markets must comply with BPA restrictions under the Windsor Framework, with the first major compliance deadline on the 20 July 2026. From this date, newly manufactured or imported single-use and general repeat-use food contact materials must not contain intentionally added BPA unless specific transitional provisions apply.

An extended transition period (until 20 January 2028) will be available for certain products, including selected single-use items and some professional food production equipment.

Australia

Aquatic toys mandatory safety standard 2026 release

On the 26th of June, 2026, The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) announced the official commencement of the Consumer Goods (Aquatic Toys) Safety Standard 2026. There is a transition period in place until the 25th of June 2028 to allow suppliers to adjust to the new standard.

This standard applies to inflatable and non-inflatable aquatic toys and aims to reduce the risk of serious injury or death to children from drowning while using aquatic toys. Toys that are intended for use in shallow water and are able to bear the mass of a child under the age of 14 are considered aquatic toys. Aquatic toys include but are not limited to:

1. Items that can be worn or attached to the body;
2. Inflatable novelty shapes;
3. Inflatable toy boats for shallow water;
4. Unattached rings — complete or partial.

This standard doesn’t apply to:

1. Beach balls;
2. Bodyboards;
3. Kickboards;
4. Surfboards;
5. Inflatable air beds, whether they are intended for use in water or not;
6. Inflatable boats for deep water.

1. Mandatory requirements

According to the new standard, aquatic toys must comply with certain sections of one of the following standards:

• AS/NZS ISO 8124.1 Safety of toys Part 1: Safety aspects related to mechanical and physical properties
• ISO 8124-1 Safety of toys - Part 1 Safety aspects related to mechanical and physical properties.

2. Design and construction requirements:

Inflatable aquatic toys must meet design and construction requirements set out in the mandatory standard, including:

• Air inlets of inflatable aquatic toys must have non-return valves (a valve that permits air to flow in one direction) with stoppers permanently attached to the toy.
• When the toy is inflated, the stopper must be capable of being pushed into the toy so that it does not stand out more than 5 mm from the surface of the toy.

3. Warning requirement:

Aquatic toys must display a permanent warning similar to the below example:

Warning! This is not a life-saving device. Only to be used in water in which the child is within its depth and under adult supervision.

The warning must meet be:

1. In English; and
2. Clearly legible; and
3. Clearly visible; and
4. Indelible (permanent).

4. Advertising copy or graphics should not say or imply that a child will be safe if left unsupervised with an aquatic toy.

Transition period

There is a transition period in place until the 25 June 2028 to allow suppliers to adjust to the new mandatory standard.

Consultation on the mandatory standard for toys containing magnets

On 2 July 2026, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) is conducting a limited review of the mandatory safety standard “Consumer Goods (Toys Containing Magnets) Safety Standard 2020” for toys containing magnets. The ACCC is seeking stakeholder feedback. To make a submission, please visit the ACCC Consultation Hub. The consultation window closes on Friday the 31 July, 2026.

The purpose of this limited review is to:

• Consider updating the mandatory standard to reference the latest versions of the voluntary Australian, international, European, and US standards, while maintaining the existing modifications
• Determine if adding dynamic references is appropriate (so updates to the referenced voluntary standard flow through to the mandatory standard).

The ACCC do not believe any additional overseas or international standards exist that offer a comparable level of safety and are suitable to reference as compliance options in the mandatory standard.

Significant changes such as altering the scope of the mandatory standard or other major requirements (such as performance measures) are not being considered in this review. These may be considered in a future comprehensive review.

This limited review is focused on updates to the mandatory standard and will not consider changes to the permanent ban on small high-powered magnets.

Currently, the mandatory Consumer Goods (Toys Containing Magnets) Safety Standard 2020 applies to toys with one or more magnets or magnetic components that are supplied new and are designed or intended for use in play by a child under 14 years old.

This mandatory standard doesn’t apply to:

• sporting goods
• camping goods
• bicycles
• home and public playground equipment
• trampolines
• electronic game units
• models powered by combustion or steam engines
• fashion jewellery

The mandatory standard sets design and construction requirements to prevent a child from accessing small magnets. This includes testing to make sure a magnet won’t separate from the toy during play. The only toys allowed to contain loose, small high-powered magnets are magnetic or electrical experimental sets intended for children 8 years and over.

The mandatory standard sets out warning requirements to accompany magnetic or electrical experimental sets with loose, small high-powered magnets intended for children 8 years and older. These warnings alert parents and carers to the risk of swallowing small hazardous magnets.

Toys containing magnets must comply with the relevant sections of one of the following 4 standards:

• AS/NZS ISO 8124.1:2019 Safety of toys Part 1: Safety aspects related to mechanical and physical properties
• EN 71-1:2014+A1:2018 Safety of toys - Part 1: Mechanical and physical properties
• ISO 8124-1:2018 Safety of toys – Part 1: Safety aspects related to mechanical and physical properties
• ASTM F963 - 17 Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety.

Bangladesh

BSTI extends requirement for mandatory certification mark to seven new products

On the 23 June 2026, the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) issued a gazette notification S.R.O. No. 232-Ain/2026 which extended the requirement for mandatory certification marks to seven new products. This notification shall come into force two months from the date of its publication in the official gazette.

The products affected by the new requirements are fortified maize (corn) oil; saris; woven dress fabrics for women and girls made of man-made fibers and their blends; LED luminaires; plastic feeding bottles; toys; and autoclaved aerated concrete blocks. The applicable standards are as follows:

The listed product shall comply with the Bangladesh standards specified in the notification and bear BSTI standard marks.

China

Call for comments on proposed basic safety requirements for reprocessed fiber

On 30 June 2026, the Chinese SAC published the  draft for comments on the mandatory standard GB 32479-20XX General safety technical requirements for mechanically recycled fiber through the National public service platform for standards information.
The most significant change in this revision of the standard is that it has been converted from a voluntary national standard GB/T 32479-2016 to a mandatory national standard GB 32479, with the entire text now mandatory. The main technical changes are as follows:

1.    Key revisions

1. The scope has been revised;
2. The definition of reprocessed fibers has been revised;
3. Sampling procedures has been revised;
4. The criteria for determination have been revised;
5. The free residual chlorine limit for type I and type II reprocessed fibre has been revised;
6. The names of the test items for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, arthropods, and cockroach eggs in type I and type II reprocessed fibre have been changed;

3. Requirements/definitions added into the new edition:

1. A classification of mechanically recycled fiber has been added;
2. Definitions for mechanically recycled fibers for daily use in direct contact with skin,
   mechanically recycled fibers for daily use without direct skin contact, and mechanically recycled fibers for non-daily use have been added
3. Added microbiological requirements for type I mechanically recycled fiber, including total bacterial count, total fungal count, and coliform bacteria, along with their test methods;
4. Added microbiological requirements for type II mechanically recycled fiber, including total fungal count;
5. Revised pH requirement for type I mechanically recycled fiber;
6. Added requirements and testing methods for formaldehyde content in type I, II, and III mechanically recycled fiber;
7. Added requirements and testing methods for prohibited decomposable carcinogenic aromatic amine dyes in type I and II mechanically recycled fiber;
8. Added requirements and testing methods for assessing the total content of alkylphenols (AP) and alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEO) in animal fibers and synthetic fibers within type I mechanically recycled fiber;
9. Added a requirement that other safety requirements for mechanically recycled fiber shall be implemented in accordance with relevant mandatory national standards and regulations;
10. Added requirements regarding prohibited raw materials for mechanically recycled fiber;
11. Revised labelling requirements.

4. Requirements/definition deleted from the new edition:

1. The requirement for free residual chlorine in catch-all type III mechanically recycled fiber has been deleted;
2. The requirement for Pseudomonas aeruginosa in catch-all type III mechanically recycled fiber has been deleted;
3. The “pathogenic bacteria” for type II and type II mechanically recycled fiber has been deleted.

Rerocessed fibre has been divided into the 3 types based on their end use:

1. For daily use with direct skin contact, shall meet type I requirements;
2. For daily use without direct skin contact, shall meet type I or type II requirements;
3. For non-daily use, shall meet type I or type II or type III requirements.

5. The mechanically recycled fiber basic safety requirements

6. Other requirements

The mechanically recycled fibers should comply with the requirements of relevant mandatory national standards and regulations. 

The following materials should not be used as raw materials for recycled fibres:

1. Medical fibre waste;
2. Used funeral fibre products;
3. Fiber products from epidemic areas that cannot be confirmed as uncontaminated;
4. Waste fiber products banned from import by the state, as well as other fibres and fiber products contaminated by toxic or harmful substances;
5. Other substances prohibited by the state from being used for recycled fibres.

7. Labelling requirements of mechanically recycled fibre

1. The product name, producer's name and address, product category, specification, and proof of product quality inspection should be visible in at least one location in the appropriate position of the smallest sales package. 
2. The product name as mechanically recycled fiber and its classification (Type I mechanically recycled fiber, Type II mechanically recycled fiber, Type III mechanically recycled fiber) should be marked in a prominent position on the packaging of the smallest sales unit.
3. Type I mechanically recycled fiber should indicate “Mechanically recycled fiber for daily use with direct skin contact”, Type II mechanically recycled fiber should indicate as “Mechanically recycled fiber for daily use without direct skin contact”.
4. Type III mechanically recycled fiber should have a warning in a prominent position: This product is mechanically recycled fibers for non-daily use.

Mandatory standard GB 31892-2026 on umbrella products 

On 31 March 2026, along with the Chinese SAC published the #14 of 2026 national standard announcement and a revised standard GB 31892-2026 General technical requirements for safety of umbrella products has officially released.

This standard replacing the previous standard GB 28477-2012 (partial substitution) & GB 31892-2015 and will become enforceable on 1 April 2027. Products manufactured or imported before the date (1 April 2027) of implementation of this standard, shall meet relevant requirements of GB 31892-2026 since the 13th months (1 May 2028) of the implementation date.

This standard defines the terms and definitions for umbrellas, specifies safety requirements and labeling, and describes the corresponding test methods. It applies to the production, inspection, and sale of all types of umbrellas.

1. Following is the key points for revision

2. Summarised table of specified chemical requirements

Note:

For Plasticizers (phthalate) & SCCP: This requirement is waived when the sample quantity of a single material from a single specimen is less than 10 mg

3. Labelling requirement:

All children’s umbrellas covered by this document must bear a statement on the product or its sales packaging indicating that they are intended for use by children, such as: 

“This product is suitable for children 14 years of age and younger”, or

“Recommended age: 3 to 14 years old.”

Mandatory standard GB 47368-2026 for indoor fitness equipment 

On 31 March 2026, along with the Chinese SAC public the #14 of 2026 national standard announcement, a revised national standard GB 47368-2026 Indoor stationary training equipment—Safety requirements has officially released.

This standard applies to stationary fitness equipment (hereinafter referred to as “equipment”) intended for use by persons aged 14 and older in indoor environments. It defines the terms and definitions for indoor stationary training equipment, specifies product classification, requirements, and labeling and instruction requirements, and describes test methods.

The standard divides fitness equipment into three categories:

• Class S (Studio): professional and/or commercial use.
• Class H (Home): domestic use.
• Class I: professional and/or commercial use provided for inclusive use for people with additional needs (e.g. visual, hearing, physical or learning disabilities).

The standard specifies the basic requirements in clause 5.1, structural and mechanical safety requirements in clause 5.2, electrical safety requirements in clause 5.3, hazardous substance requirements in clause 5.4, durability requirements in clause 5.4 and corresponding test methods in clause 6. In Appendix A, the standard lists specific fitness equipment and its corresponding compliance verification.

The electrical safety requirements shall meet the requirements for electrical components of sporting goods set out under the GB 44246 standard.

1. The hazardous substance requirements

2. Specific fitness equipment corresponding compliance verification

3. Labelling and instruction requirements

The standard also specific the labeling and instruction requirements:

3.1 The content of labels and warning instructions on the equipment shall be clear and located in a conspicuous position on the equipment.

3.2 The manufacturer shall provide at least the following warning statements:

1. Information on the proper use of the equipment, emphasizing safe operating procedures and the importance of keeping unsupervised children away from fitness equipment;
2. Specifications regarding the maximum user weight and maximum training load for each training function of the equipment (if applicable), along with a warning that improper
3. or excessive exercise may cause physical injury;
4. If the equipment includes a heart rate display, it must include the following warning: “Warning! The heart rate monitoring system may be inaccurate. Stop exercising immediately if you feel unwell”;
5. For Class S or Class I fitness equipment, if anchoring is required, there must be a clear graphic symbol or instruction;
6. Turning off the equipment’s display screen does not mean the equipment is powered off; to turn off the equipment, the power supply must be disconnected (if applicable).

Standard update for consumer products 

In May and June 2026, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology approved 684 industry standards, and the State Administration for Market Regulation (National Administration for Standardisation) approved 375 recommended national standards.

• Chinese National Standard Announcement #23 of 2026
• Chinese Industrial Standard Announcement #12 of 2026

The main standard related to consumer products is:

China product (executive) standard List

China test method list

Vietnam

WTO notified of multiple mandatory regulation updates

On the 1st of June, 2026, the Vietnam Chemicals Agency submitted a notification (G/TBT/N/VNM/411) to World Trade Organization (WTO) on multiple updates to the mandatory national regulation “Amendments to National Technical Regulations on limits of lead content in paints, mercury content in fluorescent lamps, formaldehyde and aromatic amines derived from azo dyes in textile products”. The final date for comments is the 27th of June, 2026.

The draft amendments include:

1. Amendments and updates to requirements for labelling and transportation based on the new decree.
2. Updating conformity declaration and assessment procedures based on the amended Law on Product and Goods Quality (78/2025/QH15)

These draft amendments apply to:

1. Organisations and individuals manufacturing, importing, trading in, and using products covered by the three technical regulations;
2. Conformity assessment organisations conducting conformity assessment activities for these products;
3. State management agencies and other relevant organiations and individuals.
   The below table contains a summary of amendments.

The below table contains a summary of amendments.

Product recalls / alerts

Below you will find a monthly summary of product recalls and alerts in Europe (Source: “Safety Gate (RAPEX)”) and the U.S. (Source “CPSC”).

Europe

Safety Gate (RAPEX) (European Commission Rapid Alert System for dangerous non-food products – Alerts reported by EU national authorities).

The following 90 alerts regarding toys, childcare articles and children's equipment products were reported between week 21 and week 24 of 2026.

The following two alerts regarding jewellery were reported between week 21 and week 24 of 2026.

The following four alerts regarding furniture were reported between week 21 and week 24 of 2026.

The following 2 alerts regarding miscellaneous consumer products were reported between week 21 and week 24 of 2026.

RASFF (European Commission Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed - Alerts reported by EU national authorities).

The following two alerts regarding Food Contact Materials related to children's tableware were reported from the 21st of May to the 20th of June 2026.

United Kingdom

The Office for Product Safety Standards (OPSS) issues Product Safety Alerts for the UK market.

The following 20 alerts regarding toys, childcare articles and children's equipment products were reported between week 21 and week 24 of 2026.

The following an alert regarding furniture were reported between week 21 and week 24 of 2026.

The following two alerts regarding jewellery were reported between week 21 and week 24 of 2026.

The following 11 alerts regarding miscellaneous consumer products were reported between week 21 and week 24 of 2026.

U.S.

From the 11 June 2026 to 2 July 2026, the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) published the following recalls:  

9 recalls regarding toys and childcare products

12 recalls of consumer products