HILAL DECORWhich test standard applies to your product
Buyers ask for “the certificates”. What actually matters depends on two things: what the item is used for, and where it is going.
Two different kinds of paperwork
Factory-level documents describe how the goods are made and who makes them. BSCI and SEDEX / SMETA are social and ethical audits, ISO 9001 is a quality management system, and FSC is chain of custody for paper. Compliance teams ask for these when they are onboarding a supplier.
Product-level tests describe the item itself — what it is made of, and whether it is safe for its intended use. This is what customs and market surveillance look at. Mixing the two categories up is the most common reason an enquiry stalls.
Which product test applies
| Standard | Covers | Items in this range |
|---|---|---|
| EN 71 | Toy safety, EU | balloons and party novelties children handle |
| REACH | Chemical substances, EU | the range generally; food-contact paper also falls under EU 1935/2004 and 10/2011 |
| LFGB | German food-contact law | drinkware and food-contact items |
| FDA | US food-contact requirements | paper tableware and cups for the US market |
The rule of thumb: if a child handles it as a plaything, it is a toy standard. If it touches food or drink, it is a food-contact standard. Decorations that are neither usually come under general chemical and product-safety rules — but your importer sets the final requirement, not us.
The part most suppliers gloss over
It is not practical to hold a current report for every item in a seasonal range of hundreds of SKUs. Reports expire, and specifications change between dye lots and between production runs. What matters is that the items you select are matched to the standards your market requires, and that testing is arranged for those items.
So the honest answer to “do you have certificates for everything?” is no — and a supplier who answers yes is usually showing you an expired report for a different item. Tell us the item numbers and the destination market and we will confirm which standards apply.
Testing is quoted separately and is not included in the product price. Sample arrangements are quoted with your enquiry.
How to move fast on this
- Send the item numbers and the destination market.
- We come back with the standards that apply to those items.
- Where a current report exists for that item, you get it. Where it does not, testing is arranged and quoted alongside the order.
Send the item numbers and market and we will come back with the list.
General guidance, not legal advice. Which standard a given market enforces is decided by your importer or compliance team, and we work to that.