Why is compliance testing so important for buyers who import products from China?

Compliance testing helps assure your product’s compliance with your market’s product and safety standards. By conducting such testing, you’ll be testing whether the product is safe for consumers under normal use, doesn’t contain hazardous substances above acceptable levels, and won’t be restricted from being imported.

Because importers are usually held responsible for any safety problems caused by their products, even if you didn’t manufacture them, the importance of compliance testing for avoiding litigation, fines, mass product recalls, and damage to your brand can’t be overstated.

It’s about risk. Would you stake your business and reputation on your Chinese supplier producing products that comply with all relevant standards without checking?

Here’s what we’ll be discussing…

This podcast episode provides you with a top-down introduction into all things compliance. We’ll start by introducing the concept and then go into best practices that you should follow to conduct successful, credible testing while showing you the red flags to look out for (such as letting your supplier handle it alone).

Listen to the episode right here 👇👇👇

🎧 What Is Compliance Testing And When Is It Appropriate? 🎧

Here’s a summary of what’s in the episode:

✅ Introducing the 2 main types of product tests: Reliability and compliance. Look out for your own region’s specific standards, as they vary widely.

✅ Certifications and test reports. Compliance tests won’t always result in certification, although this is a highly credible thing to obtain and may be mandatory, especially for products which have certain risks.

✅ Benefits of regular compliance testing. This helps to keep suppliers honest and assure that your products remain safe from the first to the last batches.

✅ The different types of labs and how ‘trustworthy’ they are. Discussing whether Chinese labs are safe to use and problems that may occur if the wrong choice is selected.

✅ Vetting labs in order to find the right option. Sharing some tips to get you started on selecting a lab who’ll do a good job at the right price.

✅ Sources of information to help you find out which standards you need to comply with and which testing plan is appropriate. Not every importer will know which standards they need to comply with, or which tests need to be done. But there are places online that provide useful info, and, indeed companies who can handle this for you.

✅ Factory auditing and compliance. Auditors can check the processes involved with testing product compliance as a part of their process audits.

✅ Information labs will need from you in order to get started. If you want to get a quote, here’s what they’ll need to know.

Keep reading about product compliance

All of the following links are relevant to the topics we discussed in this episode:

• Product Compliance 101: What Every Importer Must Know [Q&A]
• CPSIA Compliance For American Baby & Kids Product And Toy Importers

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Do you follow a new product introduction process in your factory or with your supplier/s? What do you have to add, or do you have any experiences to share?

Please share your thoughts in the comments.

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