TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection and Taiwan Intellectual Property Office held a joint press conference Wednesday warning that uninspected or pirated toys can pose safety and intellectual property risks, according to a Standards Bureau press release.
The agencies said toys are products designed for children under 14, with 31 categories subject to mandatory inspection before import or release from factories. Products must bear the Commodity Inspection Mark before they can be sold domestically.
Tests cover chemicals such as plasticizers and heavy metals, mechanical hazards such as small parts and sharp edges, electrical faults, microbial counts, and warning labels.
The bureau said it conducts annual market inspections and sampling tests, focusing in particular on new and trending toys. Vendors selling products that have not completed required inspections can be fined NT$200,000 to NT$2 million (US$6,200 to US$62,000).
If the total value of non-compliant goods is under NT$100,000, fines range from NT$10,000 to NT$100,000. Businesses must also recall or correct the products within a specified period, with failure to comply carrying an additional fine of NT$100,000 to NT$1 million.
The bureau said it posts overseas toy safety alerts, including notices from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and the EU’s Safety Gate, on its Product Safety Information Network. It also notifies the Ministry of Health and Welfare, warns the public and childcare facilities to stop using affected products, and asks domestic e-commerce platforms to remove them as a precaution.
The Taiwan Intellectual Property Office warned that toys or packaging printed with unauthorized artwork may violate copyright law, while use of identical or similar registered trademarks without permission may infringe trademark rights. The office added that pirated toys may also be of questionable quality.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs urged consumers to buy licensed, age-appropriate toys bearing the inspection mark and complete Chinese labels. It also advised adults not to let children chew toys, to watch for small parts that could be swallowed, and to have children wash their hands after playing.
The bureau said it will continue monitoring emerging toy risks and changes to international standards to update inspection rules as needed. The office added that suspected infringements can be reported with evidence to the Criminal Investigation Bureau’s Intellectual Property Rights Investigation Corps or local police.
