Import Toys from China: 7 Key Things in Practice

Jing Zhu — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 07:39:22 +0000

China produces 70% of the world’s toys. Every year, many toy businesses import from Chinese toy manufacturers to sell in their local markets and make a profit. However, many newcomers to the industry often have questions about importing toys from China. Here are the top 7 questions they’re curious about.

What are the toy safety compliance and certificates?

Toy product certification and compliance can differ from one country to another.

In the US

For toys intended for children under 12 years old, it is mandatory to have a CPC (Children’s Product Certification). This certificate must be issued by third-party labs authorized by the CPSC (US Consumer Product Safety Commission) to verify that your toy products have passed CPSIA and ASTM F963 testing.

CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act) sets safety, product labeling, and testing requirements for toys imported into the US.

ASTM F963 is the US standard law for toy safety, applicable to toys used by children under 14 years old.

For electronic toys like RC cars, compliance with the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) is necessary. If toys emit radiation, they are subject to FDA (Food and Drug Administration) requirements.

In the Europe

Toys exported to Europe must comply with the Toy Safety Directive — EN 71 and bear a CE mark. If toys are exported to the UK, they require UKCA certification, in addition to compliance with the EN71 standard.

How to minimize the risk of toy infringement?

The toy category is prone to various infringement issues. Here are 4 common situations and tips on how to avoid them:

1. Toys with very popular IP (e.g. Barbie, Superman, Minions).

If you want to import these licensed toys, ensure that you or your supplier has obtained the toy brand‘s authorization. Without this authorization, toys found during Chinese or foreign customs inspections will be destroyed.

2. Trending toys

Every year, some toys become very popular, such as last summer’s hit, the 3D Gravity Carrot Knife. While some people quickly resell these items for quick money, be prepared for potential infringement risks later, because someone is bound to register a patent.

My advice is to keep an eye on designs, patterns, and icons on the toys, as lots of them have copyrights. Before selling, perform basic intellectual property checks:

Search product keywords & descriptions on Google to find patent or trademark numbers.

Check the official website of your country. Click U.S. Patent Search, and EU Patent Search for direct search if you’re in the 2 regions.

Note that patents still under review won’t appear in searches. For more specific details, consult a professional intellectual property lawyer.

3. Simple customizing in-stock toys

If you are simply adding your logo, custom packaging, or changing the color of a supplier’s in-stock toys, make sure to confirm whether these toys are originally designed by your supplier or are imitations/improvements of existing products. Supplier-developed products usually avoid infringement issues.

If the toys are imitated or improved versions, conduct a patent search to ensure they avoid the original design. For example, the Bubble Toy Bow, as shown below, has a patented unique structure resembling a bow and arrow. Only by modifying the product’s structure can you avoid infringement risks.

4. Designing your own unique toys

If you design toys with unique appearances or functions, sign an NNN agreement with Chinese factories to prevent them from disclosing or using your information.

While your toy design is not yet hot-selling, don’t worry about the factories copying it, as they specialize in product manufacturing, not marketing and sales. For factories, direct copy entails high costs and risks. Once your designed toys start selling well, be sure to apply for a patent, copyright, or trademark to protect your IP rights in the long run.

How to control the toy quality in China?

Before your toy products are shipped from China, you must hire 3rd-party inspection or sourcing companies to conduct product quality inspection. While 3rd-party inspections sound professional, their performance often leaves much to be desired because:

They don’t know the product and might not even know how to use it. So, they can only follow the checklist you provide, mechanically checking for common and obvious defects. They neither care about nor detect other product issues. The entire inspecting process is very rigid.

They don’t communicate with you in real time and only provide a final inspection report. If there are quality issues, you have to negotiate with your supplier for a solution. If you need another inspection, you have to pay again. This process is inefficient and costly.

I suggest using China Product Agent for your QC. China Product Agent has 10 years of experience in sourcing and custom manufacturing various types of toys, mainly for EU and US clients. They know the products well and conduct strict QC. Here take plush toys for example. They conduct a three-time inspection:

Check raw materials like plush and PP cotton (toy stuffing) to ensure all meet requirements and safety standards.
Follow up the production and check semi-products after cutting fabrics and sewing some parts of plush toys.
Inspect finished toys and packaging to control the quality.

All these steps involve real-time communication with you, such as sending pictures/videos and making phone calls for confirmation. Any issues can be resolved promptly.

Use China Product Agent for efficient toy quality control in China.

How much import duty on toys from China?

Import duties on toys from China can vary depending on the toy category and the tax policy of the importing country. The first step is to check the toy product HS code with your supplier or search on your country’s Customs official website. Then, you can figure out the right duty rate.

For instance, if you want to calculate the toy duty rate when importing from China to the US, you can search the HS code on hts.usitc.gov. The HS code for toys is 9503.00.00, and the current US duty for toys, in general, is free.

Click to enlarge

However, other import taxes may apply:

MPF (Merchandise processing fee) if your toy shipments are delivered by air or sea.

Calculation: the value of goods * 0.3464% (minimum $27.2 and maximum $538.40).

HMF (Harbor maintenance fee) if your toys are shipped by sea.

Calculation: the value of goods * 0.125% (no minimum or maximum value limit).

How to ship toys from China?

If your toy shipment is small, consider express couriers (e.g. UPS) and air shipping. Both have a similar shipping time, about 7-10 days from China to major countries in Europe & Americas.

These two shipping methods are expensive. Generally, if your toy shipment exceeds 500kg, air freight is cost-effective. If your cargo is below 300kg, express shipping is a better choice. For cargo between 300-500kg, consult your freight forwarder for real-time prices & make a choice.

When your toy shipment is more than 2 CBM, and you’re not in a rush, go for sea freight—it’s the cheapest. The shipping time is 25-40 days.

Check China Product Agent’s shipping solution services. Based on your cargo conditions and budget, they will recommend flexible options and offer the most competitive shipping rates through their long-term partner freight forwarders, who can get agent prices from shipping companies/airlines. Their freight forwarders are experienced in shipping toys from China to worldwide destinations, especially the US and EU.

If your toys contain batteries, they have professional DG (Dangerous Goods) freight forwarders to prepare all necessary declaration documents like MSDS and ensure product labels and packaging meet requirements, smoothing customs clearance in China & destination country.

China Product Agent offers tailored, affordable shipping solutions.

Alibaba vs China Product Agent, which is better for importing toys from China?

Most importers browse Alibaba when buying any category of products. I don’t deny that Alibaba is a platform with comprehensive product types and numerous suppliers.

In case you have a dedicated procurement team to handle the entire sourcing process from supplier selection and collaboration to QC and logistics, you can use Alibaba. Cross-border sourcing requires a significant investment of time and energy, as well as enough experience and capability to deal with Chinese suppliers for stable supply and quality.

However, if you don’t have a procurement team, I recommend choosing China Product Agent. Especially when you are involved in toy private labeling/new product development projects or need to deal with multiple suppliers, choosing China Product Agent is a wise decision.

Because toy customization cycles can be long, you need a reliable, experienced professional supplier who can efficiently collaborate with you to realize custom effects in the first or second toy prototyping process, ensuring your toys are ready for sale as scheduled.

Dealing with dozens of suppliers and handling QC is really exhausting, and in the process, you are likely to encounter varied issues. China Product Agent is confident they can handle these tasks well because:

They have stable cooperative factories specializing in toy production with excellent workmanship and have developed good relationships. So, they can help you find suitable toy factories and negotiate favorable prices, whether you purchase hundreds of different toy types in large quantities or customize toys with complex functions.

They follow up on sampling, mass production, inspection, and shipping, handling all the details and issues that you might overlook. If there are quality problems, you just find them for solutions.

Join China Product Agent’s 1000+ happy toy clients.

Three more questions that are highly concerning to our clients.

What toys are manufactured in China?

A vast array of toys, including plushies, wooden toys, dolls, remote-controlled toys (mostly made in Chenghai), educational toys, building blocks, high-tech electronic toys, action figures…Any toy you can think of can be made in China.

Can I import licensed toys from China?

Yes, you can import licensed toys from China, as long as you or your supplier has obtained permission/authorization from the toy brand. Ensure that you follow all legal and regulatory requirements for importing branded toy products into your country.

Can you trust toys made in China?

Yes, toys made in China are trustworthy. For example, the famous toy brand LEGO has an OEM factory in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province.

The key is to work with professional and reliable toy manufacturers and conduct product quality inspections in China.

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