SG 116/23
The new requirements in Japan regarding magnet sets and expanding beads came into force on June 19,2023.
The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has listed the following two type of products as specified products under the Consumer Product Safety Act. The act restricts the manufacturing and selling of products that do not comply with the technical standard:
- Magnet amusement products (limited to those used as toys or other amusement products with a mutual attraction between magnets, in which the individual magnets or parts using magnets that make up one product are not larger than the size specified by the Order of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry*)
- Water-absorbing synthetic resin toys (limited to those which contain the part using the synthetic resin that expands by absorbing water with the size before absorbing water not being lager than the size specified by the Order of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry*)
*Note: The Order of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry stipulates the size of products that are likely to be swallowed by infants not to be larger than the size that fits into a cylinder for small parts as specified by ISO 8124-1.
There have been a certain number of serious injuries related to swallowing products like magnet sets and expanding water beads in Japan. This regulation update prohibits the manufacture and sale of these products in Japan when they do not comply with the technical requirements (note: most of these products will not comply with the technical requirements). The Consumer Product Safety Act covers all consumer products, so these products, even for users over the age of 14, will fall under the regulation.
The requirements came into force on June 19, 2023.
See the full text of the requirements by following this link.
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