FDA Issues Updated List of Certified "Daily-Use" Ceramic Tableware Factories in China
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has posted to its Web site an information sheet containing an updated list of ceramic tableware factories located in China that are certified as having a reasonable assurance of complying with FDA action levels for leachable lead and cadmium by the China National Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA) through its network of provincial, municipal, and local inspection offices.
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The FDA's current information sheet is dated February 8, 2005 and the current list of 526 certified factories was provided to the FDA on January 24, 2005.
(On May 20, 1999 the FDA and the CNCA's predecessor administration signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the safety of ceramic tableware manufactured in China and exported to the U.S., which replaced a similar MOU signed in 1988. The 1999 MOU, which took effect on January 1, 2000, defines two categories of ceramic tableware, daily-use (dinnerware which is usually inexpensive and commonly used) and traditional (dinnerware that is usually porcelain, hand-painted, and highly decorated). According to FDA sources the MOU implements certain factory certification and carton labeling requirements for daily-use ceramic tableware produced in China. (See ITT's Online Archives or 08/06/99 news, 99080571, for BP summary of the 1999 MOU.)
CNCA Regularly Updates List of Certified Daily-Use Ceramic Tableware Factories
FDA sources state that the CNCA issues, on a roughly quarterly basis, an updated list of certified "daily-use" ceramic tableware factories to the FDA containing the name, address, and unique factory code for each certified factory. FDA sources have stated that updates and corrections to this list are generally posted toward the end of January, May, and September of each year at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/comm/ceramic.html.
(FDA sources have also stated that FDA Import Alert 52-08, "Detention Without Physical Examination of Ceramicware Due to Excessive Lead and/or Cadmium," lists the Chinese factories that are subject to automatic detention without physical examination and is available at http://www.fda.gov/ora/fiars/ora_import_alert_list.html)
According to the FDA, the list of certified factories is incorporated into the agency's automated import entry examination system to determine, at the time a consignment of ceramic tableware from China is offered for entry into the U.S., the eligibility of the shipment to proceed into U.S. commerce under the terms of the MOU. FDA sources have previously stated that certified Chinese ceramic tableware factories have a lower level of scrutiny than those that are not certified.
CCIB Sticker/Logos for "Daily-Use" Ceramicware Produced by Certified Factories
The FDA states that the terms of the MOU specify that each shipping and retail carton of ceramic tableware from a CNCA-certified factory should be affixed with a China Commodity Inspection Bureau (CCIB or CIQ) sticker/logo embossed with the unique code number of the production facility that produced the ware. The sticker/logo (1) serves as an additional means of identifying a particular consignment as having originated from a CNCA-certified factory, and (2) facilitates the trace back of a consignment to a particular production facility in the event of any instance of non-compliance with applicable FDA action levels for leachable lead and cadmium.
The FDA has provided illustrations of these stickers/logos in its information sheet.
Importers Strongly Urged to Ensure that "Daily-Use" Ceramic Tableware Produced in China Originates in a Certified Factory
The FDA states that because it believes the consignments of ceramic tableware originating from CNCA-certified factories will have a higher likelihood of compliance with U.S. safety requirements than those originating from other, non-certified factories in China, it intends to set its import inspection rates accordingly. Therefore, the FDA has previously stated that it encourages importers of ceramic tableware from China to take affirmative steps to ensure that such ware originates from CNCA-certified factories and that relevant import documents show CNCA-certified factory names, addresses, and codes for Customs and FDA reference and use at the time of import into the U.S.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 07/02/02 news, 02070225, for earlier BP summary of the FDA's Information Sheet and List of Chinese factories.)
FDA Information Sheet (updated 02/08/05) available at: www.cfsan.fda.gov/comm/ceramic.html