Industry, Government Officials in U.S. and Canada Form Committee to Align Toy Standards

Government officials and industry representatives from the U.S. and Canada recently created a “steering committee” to work toward alignment of toy safety standards in the two countries, said the Toy Industry Association in a Jan. 19 press release (here). Officials from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Health Canada, the Toy Industry Association, the Canadian Toy Association, and the standard-setting body ASTM International met in Ottawa on Jan. 7 to discuss the possibility of a unified standard and appoint the committee, said the release. The committee will first look at similarities between ASTM F963, which was adopted as a mandatory standard by CPSC in 2008, and Canada’s Toys Regulations. Its initial focus will be on coming to agreement on the scope of a unified toy standard, as well as a “path forward that will be suitable to both countries,” said the Toy Industry Association.