Selling consumer goods: the rules by market
The rules consumer goods must meet before going on sale in the EU, the UK, Switzerland, the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, India, the UAE and Saudi Arabia: who writes them, who enforces them, and what has to be registered, tested and labelled, with the official source for each. Compliant Always shows which of them apply to your product.
Europe
- European UnionIn the EU, consumer products placed on the market from 13 December 2024 fall under the General Product Safety Regulation, (EU) 2023/988, unless more specific rules cover the same risks. A product must be safe, have a responsible economic operator in the EU and carry identification. Toys, electrical goods, textiles, cleaning products and kitchenware have their own guides.Selling other consumer products in the EU
- United KingdomIn Great Britain, consumer products with no more specific rules fall under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005. Producers, including UK importers, place only safe products on the market, mark them for traceability and tell an enforcement authority about risks. Toys, electrical goods, textiles, cleaning products and kitchenware have their own guides.Selling consumer products in the UK
- SwitzerlandIn Switzerland, consumer products without more specific rules fall under the Product Safety Act (PrSG): they must be safe in normal and foreseeable use, and businesses report dangerous products to the enforcement authority. SECO coordinates enforcement. Prepackages state their quantity under the MeAV. Toys, electronics, textiles, cleaning products and kitchenware have their own guides.Selling other consumer goods in Switzerland
The Americas
- United StatesIn the US, a consumer product subject to a Consumer Product Safety Commission rule needs a certificate of compliance naming the rules it meets. The certificate travels with the product and, for imports, is eFiled with Customs at entry. Packages show identity, net quantity and who stands behind them, under the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act.Selling other consumer goods in the US
- CanadaIn Canada, most consumer products fall under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, administered by Health Canada: they must not be a danger to health or safety, and incidents are reported within two days. Prepackaged non-food products carry a bilingual identity, metric net quantity and dealer details under the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act.Selling consumer products in Canada
- MexicoIn Mexico, packaged non-food products without a specific NOM carry the commercial information of NOM-050-SCFI-2004, in Spanish, with the quantity declared under NOM-030. The Federal Consumer Protection Law governs claims, origin, warranties and warnings, and PROFECO can order recalls. Toys, electronics, textiles, cleaning products and kitchenware have their own guides.Selling other packaged consumer goods in Mexico
- BrazilIn Brazil, consumer products must not carry risks beyond the normal and foreseeable, and must give clear information in Portuguese under the Consumer Defence Code. Products INMETRO regulates need conformity assessment and its seal. Pre-packaged goods declare their quantity under INMETRO's metrology rules. Toys, electrical goods, textiles, cleaning products and kitchenware have their own guides.Selling consumer goods in Brazil
Asia and the Pacific
- AustraliaIn Australia, consumer products fall under the Australian Consumer Law, enforced by the ACCC and state and territory agencies. Products covered by a mandatory safety or information standard must meet it, banned goods may not be supplied, and suppliers report serious injuries within 2 days. Prepackaged goods carry a measurement marking, and imported prepacked goods need a trade description.Selling consumer products in Australia
- New ZealandNew Zealand has no general approval for consumer goods: businesses that make, import or sell them are responsible for their safety under consumer law. Some products must meet mandatory safety standards or are banned by unsafe goods notices. Toys, electronics, textiles, cleaning products and kitchenware have their own guides.Selling other packaged consumer goods in New Zealand
- JapanIn Japan, consumer products fall under the Consumer Product Safety Act. Specified products carry the PSC mark, and serious incidents are reported within 10 days. Quality labelling, net quantity, packaging recycling and the ban on misleading representations apply across product types. Toys, electronics, textiles, cleaning products and kitchenware have their own guides.Selling general consumer goods in Japan
- South KoreaIn South Korea, consumer products listed by Ministerial Decree go through safety certification, safety verification, a supplier's declaration or compliance with safety standards under the Electrical Appliances and Consumer Products Safety Control Act. The Framework Act on the Safety of Products adds duties to report and recall. Toys, electronics, textiles, cleaning products and kitchenware have their own guides.Selling other packaged consumer products in South Korea
- SingaporeIn Singapore, most consumer goods not covered by another regime fall under the Consumer Protection (Consumer Goods Safety Requirements) Regulations 2011, run by the Consumer Product Safety Office. Goods meet an applicable ISO, IEC, EN or ASTM standard with no pre-market registration. Household electrical goods, food, cosmetics and chemicals have their own rules.Selling general consumer goods in Singapore
- IndiaIn India, packaged consumer goods carry the declarations of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, and packers and importers register under them. Some products need the BIS Standard Mark under a Quality Control Order. The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 sets product liability and lets the Central Consumer Protection Authority order recalls.Selling consumer goods in India
The Middle East
- United Arab EmiratesIn the UAE, packaged non-food goods fall under Federal Law No. 10 of 2018 on Product Safety, free zones included. Products under a technical regulation need a MoIAT conformity certificate; others can get one on request. Prepackages declare their quantity in Arabic, and suppliers withdraw and recall unsafe products.Selling other packaged consumer goods in the UAE
- Saudi ArabiaIn Saudi Arabia, a consumer product either falls under a technical regulation of the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) or it does not. Regulated products need the certificate their regulation sets; products outside any regulation are still registered in SABER with a self-declaration and a shipment certificate before clearance. The Product Safety Law sits over both.Selling other consumer goods in Saudi Arabia
Other products
- Food
- Supplements
- Beverages
- Alcohol
- Infant formula and baby food
- Pet food
- Cosmetics and beauty
- Cleaning products and detergents
- Toys
- Electrical and electronics
- Clothing, footwear and textiles
- Kitchenware and food contact articles
Selling consumer goods somewhere not listed here? Tell us the product and the market, and we will come back to you with the rules that apply.
Tell us where you sellCompliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.