Analysis of Japan Toy Import Agency Process and Compliance Key Points

Background and Common Difficulties of Japan Toy Import

In the first half of 2026,multiple Shanghai toy traders reported that the customs clearance cycle for imported Japanese toys had been extended by 3 days compared to last year — mainly due to the mutual tightening of Japan’s safety standards for children’s toys (updated 2025 version of ST mark) and China’s commodity inspection requirements (refined GB 6675-2024 series standards).Many enterprises have fallen into a passive position due to unclear understanding of the regulatory differences between the two countries and poor process coordination.

Specifically,the common difficulties in importing Japanese toys are concentrated in three aspects: First,the connection between ST marks and China’s 3C certification is unclear,and some enterprises incorrectly declare non-mandatory 3C certification toys as mandatory categories; Second,Japan’s new "pre-declaration of chemical residue" requirement requires simultaneous provision of test reports from Japanese origin and third-party data recognized by China’s commodity inspection; Third,the information synchronization between the commodity inspection institutions of China and Japan is lagging,resulting in repeated testing for some batches of goods.

Core Role of Zhongshen in Japan Toy Import

As a Shanghai-based enterprise engaged in foreign trade agency for over 20 years,Zhongshen has built a full-process closed loop of "pre-review - customs clearance - post-service" tailored to the characteristics of Japan toy import: intervene in document pre-examination in advance to avoid policy pitfalls,synchronize with commodity inspection institutions of China and Japan to shorten the quarantine cycle,and rely on Shanghai Free Trade Zone warehousing to meet cargo temporary storage needs.

Last year,when a maternal and infant trading company imported Japanese building block toys,it was required by the customs to make corrections because the ST mark number was not marked.The team led by Director Cao of Zhongshen completed the correction and passed the review in only one working day,avoiding demurrage fees of 2,000 yuan per day; Another enterprise incorrectly declared the 3C certification category,and Zhongshen checked the certification catalogue in advance to help it save nearly 20,000 yuan in additional certification costs.

Core Process Breakdown of Japan Toy Import Agency

1.Document Pre-review: Dual Check of China and Japan Compliance Standards

Two special requirements need to be focused on for document pre-review of Japan toy import:

• ST mark validity verification: ST mark is mandatory for Japanese children’s toys.After the 2025 version update,it is required to mark "valid until XX month XXXX year",and a copy of the certificate issued by the Japan Toy Association (JTA) must be provided;
• Chemical substance pre-declaration: Since 2026,it is required to submit a "toy safety test report" from Japanese origin,specifying the content of heavy metals such as lead and cadmium (lead ≤ 90ppm,cadmium ≤75ppm),which must be consistent with the third-party data recognized by China’s commodity inspection.

Assistance method of Zhongshen: The team led by Director Cao will communicate with customers 10 working days in advance,check the validity period and marking format of the ST mark,and guide customers to supplement test reports in both Chinese and Japanese.If the Japanese supplier cannot provide a Chinese report,the team will connect with a testing institution qualified for both Chinese and Japanese to avoid commodity inspection rejection due to language issues.

2.Port Customs Declaration: Connection between ST Mark and 3C Certification

Special requirements for Japanese toy customs declaration: The ST mark number must be marked in the "commodity name" column of the customs declaration form,and a "comparison table of China and Japan toy safety standard differences" (new requirement in 2026) must be submitted to clarify whether the toy is included in China’s mandatory 3C certification catalogue (e.g.electric toys and plush stuffed toys are mandatory categories,while puzzles and building blocks are non-mandatory categories).

Assistance method of Zhongshen: The customs declaration team will embed the ST mark number into the customs declaration system in advance,and synchronize the difference data from the commodity inspection databases of China and Japan.For non-mandatory 3C certification toys,it will mark "Compliant with Japanese ST standards,no China 3C certification required" in the remarks column of the customs declaration form to avoid customs misjudgment; For mandatory 3C certification toys,it will assist customers in providing electronic copies of the certificate to synchronize customs declaration and commodity inspection data.

3.Commodity Inspection and Quarantine: Heavy Metal and Phthalate Ester Testing

In 2026,China’s commodity inspection has added "phthalate ester (DBP,DEHP) content" (must ≤ 0.1%) to the testing items for Japanese toys,and it is also required to check the "toy recall records" of the Ministry of Economy,Trade and Industry of Japan — any toys that have been recalled will not be cleared through customs.

Assistance method of Zhongshen: Manager Tang,the commodity inspection liaison,will retrieve the recall database of the Japanese Ministry of Economy,Trade and Industry in advance and cross-check the model of each batch of goods; For testing items,he will pre-review the test reports of Japanese suppliers in advance.If the data is close to the limit,he will advise customers to replace the batch or add third-party testing.Last year,a cartoon doll imported by a customer was found by Manager Tang to have been recalled in Japan in 2025,and he notified the customer to replace the batch in time to avoid the loss of cargo destruction.

Comparison of Common Risks and Solutions for Japan Toy Import

Value Summary of Zhongshen Agency Services

In 2026,the compliance threshold for importing Japanese toys continues to rise,and it is difficult for enterprises to cope only by familiarizing themselves with the regulations of the two countries on their own.Relying on 20 years of industry experience,Zhongshen has helped customers shorten the import cycle by more than 30% and avoided more than 90% of compliance fine risks through the full-process service of "pre-review in advance - precise connection - risk avoidance".

For enterprises planning to import Japanese toys,choosing a professional agency is not only a choice to simplify the process,but also a guarantee of compliant operation — Zhongshen’s localized service team can quickly respond to policy changes at Shanghai ports,and rely on Free Trade Zone warehousing to meet cargo temporary storage needs,helping enterprises reduce logistics and time costs.