MoreWalter Lumley, president of the Society of
Glass and Ceramic Decorators, reports on the latest decorating news.
The amount is reduced to 100 ppm within three years. While the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) can review technical factors that make the 100 ppm threshold impossible to achieve, the agency is not able to set any limit greater than 300 ppm for lead used in children’s products. Testing would be required before a product is distributed, and the law includes a mechanism for state Attorneys General to enforce the standard.
According to the proposed rule, if the imported article will be further processed in the U.S., the processor will be considered the ultimate purchaser and the article will be excepted from individual marking, provided the outermost container in which it is imported reasonably indicates the country of origin of the article to the ultimate purchaser. The SGCD will provide further updates as they become available.
Lead Bill Passes
The U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate passed the Conference Report to H.R. 4040, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, by an overwhelming majority and President Bush recently signed the bill, which includes a provision limiting the amount of lead in products directed at children age 12 and under. Such products must contain no more than 600 ppm of lead within 180 days of enactment and 300 ppm within one year of enactment.\The amount is reduced to 100 ppm within three years. While the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) can review technical factors that make the 100 ppm threshold impossible to achieve, the agency is not able to set any limit greater than 300 ppm for lead used in children’s products. Testing would be required before a product is distributed, and the law includes a mechanism for state Attorneys General to enforce the standard.
EPA Attempts to Change TSCA Reporting of Ceramic Materials
The Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators (SGCD) has been in contact with the American Chemistry Council (ACC) regarding an effort by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to call into question long-standing EPA guidance on using category listings for several mixtures, including ceramics, frits, glass and pigments. For 30 years, companies have reported these substances in accordance with the categorical listing “ceramic materials and wares, chemicals” under the EPA’s guidance. If this change occurs, it will result in massive additional reporting requirements for some industry suppliers and possibly for manufacturers as well. If you are interested in being involved with the ACC on this issue, contact SGCD headquarters at (740) 588-9882.Country of Origin Marking Rule Changes Proposed
The U.S. Department of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has proposed a rule that would change how importers determine country of origin status for imported goods. The proposed rule would adopt guidelines created under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to determine country of origin and eliminate the current principle of “substantial transformation.”According to the proposed rule, if the imported article will be further processed in the U.S., the processor will be considered the ultimate purchaser and the article will be excepted from individual marking, provided the outermost container in which it is imported reasonably indicates the country of origin of the article to the ultimate purchaser. The SGCD will provide further updates as they become available.
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