New Zealand Proposes Asbestos Testing for Specified Sand Products

SafeGuardSHardgoods, Toys and Juvenile ProductsSeptember 22, 2026

SG 127/26

New Zealand publishes ban on asbestos in toys and other goods.

On September 4, 2026, the WTO announced New Zealand’s draft Unsafe Goods (Consumer Sand Products) Notice 2026, which would prohibit asbestos in specified consumer sand products, including toy sand, toys containing sand and certain decorative, craft or artistic products.

What does the draft notice require?

Key proposed requirements are summarized in Table 1.

Substance	Scope¹	Requirement
Asbestos	Toy sand Toys containing sand Decorative, craft or artistic sand Decorative, craft or artistic goods containing accessible sand	Not detected in accordance with ISO 22262-2:2026 using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) or a combination of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis ²^, ³ Certificates, reports or results must be dated no more than 12 months before the goods are imported into or manufactured in New Zealand
¹Exempts sand produced by natural geological processes that is intended to fill sand pits, playgrounds, or other recreational areas ²Sand contained in at least three separate units must be tested for each product or product variant ³Testing laboratories must be accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017, with the method of analysis in the scope of accreditation.

Substance

Scope¹

Requirement

Asbestos

Toy sand
Toys containing sand
Decorative, craft or artistic sand
Decorative, craft or artistic goods containing accessible sand

Not detected in accordance with ISO 22262-2:2026 using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) or a combination of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis ²^, ³

Certificates, reports or results must be dated no more than 12 months before the goods are imported into or manufactured in New Zealand

¹Exempts sand produced by natural geological processes that is intended to fill sand pits, playgrounds, or other recreational areas
²Sand contained in at least three separate units must be tested for each product or product variant
³Testing laboratories must be accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017, with the method of analysis in the scope of accreditation.

Table 1

Who is impacted?

The draft notice would affect businesses involved in supplying toy sand and other specified goods containing sand in New Zealand, including manufacturers, importers and retailers.

When is the deadline for submitting comments?

Comments will be accepted until September 25, 2026.

Optimize your potential, reach new markets, and streamline every step of the toy life cycle while supporting sustainability and reducing the risk of non-compliance, recalls and delays, with our one-stop-shop solution for compliance. Our global network of experts, laboratories and accreditations help you access the world’s toy markets effectively and efficiently. Contact us to learn more, or visit our website. In the end, it’s only trusted because it’s tested.

^{© SGS Société Générale de Surveillance SA. This publication or website is a property of SGS Société Générale de Surveillance SA. All contents including website designs, text, and graphics contained herein are owned by or licensed to SGS Société Générale de Surveillance SA. The information provided is for technical and general information purposes only and offers no legal advice. The information is no substitute for professional legal advice to ensure compliance with the applicable laws and regulations. All information is provided in good faith “as is”, and SGS Société Générale de Surveillance SA makes no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, and does not warrant that the information will be error-free or meet any particular criteria of performance or quality.}