Executive SummaryWith exactly six weeks remaining, China’s revised national toy safety standards GB 6675.1-2025 to GB 6675.4-2025 will take effect on 1 November 2026. From that date, all toys newly manufactured in, or imported into, China must comply with the 2025 revision. The revision substantially expands the chemical requirements: migratable elements rise from 8 to 9 substances with the addition of boron, phthalates from 6 to 10 substances, and eight entirely new restricted categories come into scope, including formaldehyde, certain aromatic amines, PAHs, N-nitrosamines, formamide, short-chain chlorinated paraffins, VOC emissions and allergenic fragrances. Physical, marking and warning requirements are also tightened. Toy manufacturers, brand owners and exporters to the Chinese market should verify compliance now: there is no transition period on the production side, and 2014-version test reports only demonstrate conformity with the old version. |
Key Points at a Glance
Item | Key fact |
Standards | GB 6675.1 to GB 6675.4-2025, replacing the 2014 versions of Parts 1–4; Part 2 also replaces GB 6675.12-2014 and absorbs scooters |
Published | 5 October 2025 |
Effective | 1 November 2026 — new production and imports must meet the new version |
Old-stock sell-through | Until 31 October 2027; products made or imported before 1 November 2026 must meet the new version from 1 November 2027 |
Migratable elements | 8 → 9 substances (boron added) |
Phthalates | 6 → 10 substances |
New chemical limits | Formaldehyde, aromatic amines, PAHs, N-nitrosamines and precursors, formamide, SCCPs, VOC emissions, allergenic fragrances |
Other parts | GB (GB/T) 6675 Parts 9, 10, 11, 13 and 14 remain in force unchanged |
1. Switch-over Timeline and Transition Arrangements
The revised standards were published on 5 October 2025 and take effect on 1 November 2026, at which point newly produced or imported products must conform to the new version. Old-version stock may continue to be sold until 31 October 2027.
Products manufactured or imported before the implementation date in accordance with the old version must satisfy the new-version requirements from the 13th month after implementation, that is, from 1 November 2027. There is no transition period on the production side: a test report against the 2014 version only demonstrates conformity with the old version and cannot substitute for new-version compliance.
2. GB 6675.1-2025 vs the 2014 Version: Main Technical Changes
The four parts were published and implemented on the same day, each replacing the corresponding 2014 part; Part 2 also replaces GB 6675.12-2014 and incorporates scooters. The remaining parts of the GB (GB/T) 6675 series — Parts 9, 10, 11, 13 and 14 — remain current. The table below summarises the principal changes, drawn from Tables 1 to 9 and Annex A of Part 1.
Change | Main GB 6675.1-2025 requirement (scope) | Business focus |
Migratable elements: 8 → 9 substances | Boron added: crystal slime ≤ 300 mg/kg, modelling clay and slime putty ≤ 1,200 mg/kg; separate limits for crystal slime, clays and putties, finger paints and toy cosmetics with several limits tightened; barium limits adjusted | Crystal slime, clays, paints |
Phthalates: 6 → 10 substances | All toys: sum of DBP + BBP + DEHP + DIBP ≤ 0.1%; DPENP, DHEXP and DCHP each ≤ 0.1%; for mouthable toys or toys for children under 36 months that can be mouthed: sum of DNOP + DINP + DIDP ≤ 0.1% | Plasticised materials (GB/T 40182) |
Formaldehyde (new) | Materials accessible to children under 36 months: textiles, leather and fur, paper ≤ 30 mg/kg; water-based materials (except finger paints) ≤ 10 mg/kg | Infant textiles, plush toys, paper items |
Harmful aromatic amines (new) | Textile materials worn by children in direct skin contact: 24 amines, each ≤ 30 mg/kg | Textiles, clothing-type toys |
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (new) | Rubber or plastic parts that are mouthable, worn in skin contact, or used on ride-on handles: 8 PAHs, each ≤ 0.5 mg/kg | Soft rubber parts, handles |
N-nitrosamines and precursors (new) | Mouthable elastomers or elastomers accessible to children under 36 months: nitrosamines < 0.05 mg/kg, nitrosatable precursors < 1 mg/kg | Soft elastomeric parts |
Formamide (new) | Foamed materials for children under 36 months ≤ 200 mg/kg; if above 200 mg/kg, emission testing applies with release ≤ 0.20 mg/m³; exempt for outdoor use or accessible area < 0.45 m² | EPE/EVA foams |
Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (new) | Accessible polyvinyl chloride (PVC) materials: SCCPs < 0.15% | PVC components |
VOC emissions (new) | Formaldehyde ≤ 0.08, benzene ≤ 0.06, toluene ≤ 0.15, xylene ≤ 0.20, TVOC ≤ 0.50 mg/m³; unfinished solid wood and solid metal toys exempt | Painted, glued and plastic parts |
Allergenic fragrances (new) | Scented toys: the 58 fragrances listed in Table A.1 each ≤ 100 mg/kg; the 71 fragrances in Table A.2 exceeding 100 mg/kg must be named on the label | Scented toys, fragrance ingredients |
Electrical, hygiene and radiation (expanded) | Accessible voltage difference ≤ 24 V; plant-seed fillings must be inactivated and wood must not be rotten or insect-damaged; no musty or other off-odours; no harmful electromagnetic radiation | Electric toys, wooden toys, plush toys |
Marking and warnings (upgraded) | Toy cosmetics must carry a full ingredient list, a statement that they are not children’s cosmetics and a warning; toys concealed in food require warnings; key warnings must be visible before purchase, including online | Labels, product detail pages |
Exemptions and scope boundaries (new) | Exemption where a single material yields less than 10 mg of sample (elements) or below the method’s minimum sample quantity; packaging with play value or intended to be retained is within scope; simulated food is treated under mouthable-toy requirements | Do not over-apply exemptions |
3. What Changes in Parts 2, 3 and 4
Parts 2 to 4 of the series switch to the 2025 version on the same day, each with its own focus of changes.
Part 2: Mechanical and physical properties
Around 85 changes, including: yoyo cords limited to ≤ 370 mm; ride-on toy speed limits of 8, 12 and 16 km/h; restructured cord and string requirements; clarified marking for toy guns; and incorporation of scooters (front wheel 120 mm).
Part 3: Flammability and Part 4: Migration of certain elements
For Part 3, the burning-rate limits are unchanged, but the test methods are refined for head-worn toys, costumes and disguise sets, toys that children can enter, and soft-filled toys. Part 4 is the companion method standard for Table 1 of Part 1: it specifies the ICP-OES method and covers new matrices such as crystal slime.
4. How CIRS Testing Can Help
CIRS Testing offers one-stop testing covering all mechanical, physical, flammability and chemical items of GB 6675.1 to GB 6675.4-2025: the 9 migratable elements (including boron, per GB 6675.4, ICP method), the 10 phthalates (simultaneous GC-MS determination), and the new chemical limits covering formaldehyde, aromatic amines, PAHs, N-nitrosamines, formamide and short-chain chlorinated paraffins (trace quantification by LC-MS/MS and GC-MS).
Combined testing against EN 71, ASTM F963 and ISO 8124 is also available, with reports recognised in multiple markets. During the standard switch-over period, CIRS Testing provides priority scheduling and expedited turnaround, together with root-cause analysis and corrective recommendations for any non-conforming items.
CIRS Testing has served more than 30,000 enterprises, acted as a designated sampling-inspection contractor for Tmall Global, and supported compliance programmes for platforms including Amazon, TEMU and SHEIN.
About CIRS Testing
CIRS Testing is a third-party testing organisation under CIRS Group, operating CMA- and CNAS-accredited laboratories with toys and children’s products as a core capability area. Its laboratory covers more than 10,000 m² and houses six testing centres spanning physical, chemical, toxicological and microbiological testing, with in-house ICP-OES/ICP-MS, XRF, GC-MS, LC-MS/MS and environmental-chamber equipment ensuring fully traceable data.
CIRS TESTING | A member of CIRS Group | CMA & CNAS dual-accredited laboratory Email: test@cirs-group.com | Hotline: +86 571-87206587 | Website: www.cirs-testing.com |
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Note: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.