Ningbo lighter actively moves to respond to CR regulations

Japan's lighter CR regulations, which are more stringent than similar European and American regulations, will be officially implemented by the end of this month. For Ningbo lighters, which account for more than half of the total number of lighters imported from Japan, this may be an important test. The author recently learned from relevant departments that the Ningbo Lighter Industry Association has sent a staff member to the Ministry of Commerce delegation to negotiate with the Japanese government.

On November 18 last year, in response to a number of fire accidents caused by children playing lighters in Japan, the Tokyo Fire Department submitted a “Child Safety Lighter Countermeasures” report to the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and recommended that the Japanese government draw up similar CR regulations. Subsequently, the relevant Japanese departments and agencies held many meetings, and set up a working group of lighters, and finally decided to implement CR regulations on disposable plastic electronic lighters, wheel lighters, and plastic lighters from December 27 this year.

According to relevant experts from the City Lighters Association, compared with similar regulations in the United States and Europe, the Japanese CR regulations do not use price as a criterion for judging the safety limit of lighters, but some more stringent terms are attached. Moreover, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has entrusted the Japanese Stationery Safety Test Institute as the authoritative body for testing and testing lighters. Chinese export companies can only obtain qualified labels through inspection and inspection by the Institute. This is the “pass” for future sales of disposable lighters in the Japanese market. ".

Ningbo is the largest lighter production and export base in China. At present, more than half of the total amount of lighters imported from Japan is provided by Ningbo companies. Therefore, the implementation of the Japanese lighter CR regulations will seriously affect the production and export of Ningbo lighters. For related companies, it is another major test after the European and American CR regulations.

Since August of this year, affected by the unfavorable factors of Japan's imminent implementation of CR regulations, some domestic lighter importers have become more cautious or wait-and-see attitudes. Ningbo's lighter exports to Japan have begun to decline. Customs statistics show that in the first 10 months, Ningbo has exported more than 33 million US dollars of lighters to Japan, a year-on-year drop of 13%.

At present, all the major lighter companies in Ningbo have taken active actions to respond to Japanese CR regulations. According to Liu Hebo, deputy general manager of Ningbo Xinhai Electric Co., Ltd., this leading lighter with annual sales ranking first in the domestic industry basically meets the requirements for certification in Japan. The next step is to invite the Japanese Stationery Safety Testing Institute to visit the company. Conduct product certification.

At the request of the Ningbo Lighter Industry Association, the Ministry of Commerce’s Import and Export Fair Trade Bureau recently sent a delegation consisting of lighter companies in Ningbo and Wenzhou City to negotiate with the Japanese government to safeguard the interests of the Chinese lighter industry.