In the past decade, especially since its accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), China has shown rock-solid growth to become the largest production centre of toys supplied to the global-wide market. But the "Made in China" tag often sends mixed messages for buyers and consumers. On the one hand, it represents products of very competitive prices, but it also raises serious concerns over product quality and safety on the other. To combat this negative image that China-made toys present to the world, the Chinese government has stepped up measures to introduce a series of quality assurance initiative since 2002.
Under this new scheme, the China Compulsory Certification (CCC) becomes a prerequisite standard that manufacturers must satisfy before their products can be sold in the marketplace. During the first phase of its implementation, six types of toys will fall under this requirement: namely children’s vehicles, battery-operated toys, plastic toys, metal toys, projectile toys and dolls. Other categories will be included in the near future.
According to the governmental body responsible for the administration of the CCC, the Chinese National Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA), the program was initially put in place in 2002, and the toys industry is the fifth industry being covered.
For Chinese manufacturers of toys and playthings, applications for the certificate and voluntary products testing have begun in late-2005, but the compulsory certification rule will be strictly enforced from 1 July, 2007.
This certification process is expected to bring widespread effects on the international scene, given China’s status as the largest toy manufacturing country in the world. It is estimated that 70% of toys in the market worldwide are currently produced in China. And with highly positive forecast, the implications of the CCC are predicted to become wider. According to statistics compiled by the China Toy Association, toys exports from China leaped 20.6% year-on-year to reach a whopping USD $1.79 billion in the first two months of the 2006 alone.
The association also revealed that there are currently 8,000 toy manufacturers in China. While some companies are fully dedicated to producing top quality toys that are safe for the end users, others have been exploiting loopholes in legislation or simply failing to comply with the current requirements in a bid to cut costs. As a result, sub-standard toys are produced and released into the market, tarnishing the image of products made in China and making the "Made in China" tag an insufficient proof of product quality.
Therefore, the CCC has geared up to raise the quality of Chinese toys. A spokesperson for the Chinese Association of Light Industry commented that the implementation of the CCC is a right step forward for the industry. "China has recently made public the compulsory quality certificate catalogue for toys, a step aimed at improving the quality of China’s toys in the international market," he said.
In addition to improving the quality of toys made in China, this newly introduced quality appraisal system also addresses other concerns. Firstly, as toys and games are primarily targeted at children, product safety is of utmost importance. So, the CCC helps ensure the consumers’ personal safety as topmost concern. Furthermore, by imposing a set of guidelines on the types of materials used, the CCC also covers the safety for animals and plants, thus addressing environmental concerns as well as ascertaining the all-important issues pertaining to national security.
These new measures have cast worries on Chinese toy industry analysts and insiders, who are expecting tough consequences. Some industry players already perceive the CCC as a stringent standard that will not be easy to match, while manufacturers have raised fears over the added costs associated with the applications. Furthermore, the Guangdong Commission for Inspection and Quarantine commented that the introduction and implementation of CCC will slow down the toy export figures on a short term.
However, the CNCA has played down these speculations by labeling the CCC a "basic requirement" for the trade, while other representative bodies of the Chinese toy industry have joined forces in support of the initiative.
Chairman of the Shenzhen Toys Industry Association, Mr. He Yixun, stated sternly, "While manufacturers need to take into account the costs of the CCC applications, not obtaining the certification is like economic suicide."
Mr. He went on to say that this new certification procedures help discriminate the right, the best from the bad and rest, while presenting a great opportunity for some manufacturers to catch up with the rest of the world in terms of product quality. "For enterprises of good quality, the China Compulsory Certification is an opportunity to show their production integrity and protect their good names; but for the incompetent others, it is a matter of survival," he stressed.
And the Guangdong Commission for Inspection and Quarantine is highly confident that the CCC will bring increased competitiveness of China-made products in the global market in the long run.
For manufacturers wishing to beat the July 2007 deadline and hop on the CCC bandwagon early, the CNCA have authorised three agencies for issuing the certificates to qualified firms, and another 15 institutions in major manufacturing hubs across the nation for product testing and inspection.
The CNCA revealed the turn-around time required for the applications to be processed, products tested and the certification issued is approximately one month.
Products that pass the tests and obtain the compulsory certification will be awarded the CCC logo. Buyers and consumers are all strongly urged to pay special attention to this mark printed on the packaging, as it signifies the authorised recognition that the product meets the CCC safety requirements.
Despite only in its initial stages, a number of forward-looking manufacturers have keenly applied the standards and successfully obtained the China Compulsory Certificate. On 10 April 2006, a special ceremony was staged in Shantou city, China to present the first release of the certificates to the qualified manufacturers.
One of the first awardees of the CCC certificates is the Guangdong Huawei Toys Crafts (Group) Co., Ltd., a manufacturer of dolls, Christmas ornaments and ride-on toys based in Guangdong Province. The spokesperson for the Guangdong Huawei Toys Crafts is upbeat about the future of the toy industry under the CCC. "The China Compulsory Certification is beneficial for raising the quality and safety standard of China-made toys and protects consumers from counterfeits, fakes and sub-standard products. The industry will see a far-reaching reshuffle when the CCC is strictly enforced next year," he said.
With more and more toys manufacturers, like the Guangdong Huawei Toys Crafts, getting committed to the cause, as stipulated by the China Compulsory Certification, the international market will certainly benefit from the quality and safe toys coming from the world’s production powerhouse – China.