SG 138/26
United Kingdom (UK) permits the use of cobalt in three specified toy applications for Great Britain.
In June 2026, the World Trade Organization (WTO) notified a UK proposal to permit cobalt in certain toy applications by amending The Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011 (‘the Toys Regulation’, UK S.I. 2011 No. 1881) for Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales, SafeGuardS 94/26).
In September 2026, the UK issued The Toys (Safety) (Permitted Uses for Cobalt) (England and Wales and Scotland) Regulations 2026 (UK S.I. 2026 No. 986). The Regulations will come into force on March 8, 2027.
What are the new requirements and when do they take effect?
The new law adds cobalt to Appendix A of Part 6 to Schedule 2 of the Toys Regulation, authorizing its use in the three applications summarized in Table 1.
| Substance | Permitted use | Effective date |
|---|---|---|
| Cobalt¹ |
| March 8, 2027 |
| ¹Classification: carcinogenic 1B (Carc 1B), mutagenic 2 (Muta 2) and reprotoxic 1B (Repr 1B) | ||
Table 1
Who is impacted?
The update impacts stakeholders in Great Britain’s toy supply chain, including manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers and other intermediaries.
It is important to note that the European Union has also authorized the use of cobalt in the three toy applications mentioned above (SafeGuardS 14/26).
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