On January 18, 2024, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) approved ASTM F963-23 as a mandatory toy standard under 16 CFR 1250 Toy Safety Regulation. Unless the CPSC receives significant objections by February 20, 2024, it will take effect on April 20, 2024.

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ASTM F963-23 Main updates are as follows:

1. Heavy metal base material

1) A separate description of the circumstances of the exemption to make them clearer;

2) Add accessibility rules to make it clear that paint, coating or plating is not considered an imtouchable barrier, and that a fabric covering is not considered an imtouchable barrier if any of the toys or parts covered in fabric are less than 5 cm in size or if the fabric material cannot pass a fair use and abuse test to prevent the internal parts from being accessible.

2. Phthalates

Amend the phthalate requirement to require that the following eight phthalates that can be touched by plastic materials in toys shall not exceed 0.1% (1000 ppm) : di-(2-ethyl) hexyl phthalate (DEHP); Dibutyl phthalate (DBP); Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP); Diisononyl phthalate (DINP); Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP); Diamyl phthalate (DPENP); Dihexyl phthalate (DHEXP); Dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP), consistent with federal Regulation 16 CFR 1307.

3. Sound

1) The definition of audible push-pull toys has been revised to make a clearer distinction between push-pull toys and tabletop, floor or crib toys;

2) For audible toys over 8 years old, the new abuse test requirements make it clear that toys intended for use by children under 14 years old must meet the sound requirements before and after the use and abuse test, and for toys used by children between 8 and 14 years old, the use and abuse test requirements for children between 36 months and 96 months old are applicable.

4. Batteries

Higher requirements are put forward for the accessibility of the battery:

1) Toys over 8 years old are also subject to abuse testing;

2) The screw on the battery cover shall not fall off after the abuse test;

3) The accompanying special tool for opening the battery compartment should be explained in the instruction manual accordingly: reminding the consumer to keep this tool for future use, indicating that this tool should be stored out of reach of children, indicating that this tool is not a toy.

5. Expansion material

1) The scope of application has been revised, adding expansion materials whose receiving status is non-small parts;

2) Corrected the error of the size tolerance of the test gauge.

6. Catapult toys

1) Remove the previous version of the storage environment requirements for temporary ejection toys;

2) The order of the articles was adjusted to make them more logical.

Step 7 Sign

New requirements for traceability labels have been added, requiring toy products and their packaging to be tagged with traceability labels containing certain basic information, including:

1) Name of manufacturer or private brand;

2) The place and date of production of the product;

3) Details of the manufacturing process, such as batch or run numbers, or other identifying characteristics;

4) any other information that helps to determine the specific origin of the product.

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