Shenzhen Eagle of mainland China offers the PY5064 model, a bowling set made of rubber and wood. Price is $11.55.

New designs undergo stricter QC and conform to ASTM and EN 71 requirements.

In light of recent recalls, sports toy suppliers in mainland China and Taiwan aim to ensure product quality and safety by adopting reliable materials and implementing stricter QC measures. This is under efforts to comply with international toy standards.

Raw materials, sourced mainly from trusted vendors, are inspected prior to production to make sure they are free of harmful lead, formaldehyde and azo.

More companies are requiring safety data sheets and relevant certification reports when purchasing materials, while others conduct tests upon arrival in their warehouse.

Suppliers are using lightweight, nontoxic substances for their sports toys. Designs are usually made of PP, PS, PE, ABS and wood. For high-end models, makers are exploring the use of environment-friendly alternatives such as PET.

In addition to screening raw material suppliers, companies are investing in QC systems in order to perform toxicity tests in-house.

Others send samples to third-party institutes such as SGS and Intertek for testing against ASTM, EN 71, CE, GS, UL, ISO 8124 and standards required by their customers.

Moreover, suppliers are adopting environment-friendly manufacturing processes. Some have obtained ISO 9002 and 14001 certification.

Generally, suppliers featured in this report can make sports toys that comply with the EN 71 standard, which is dictated by the European Committee for Standardization or CEN. A number of makers also conform to ASTM and ISO 8124 regulations.

In the mainland, most companies perform a series of QC procedures at their own factories. They also submit samples to third-party laboratories for more advanced testing, or if buyers so require.

Ningbo Junye Stationery & Sports Articles Co. Ltd implements QC measures at all stages of production. Models from the ISO 9001:2000-certified company have passed EN 71 requirements.

Quois Corp. has 15 technicians who perform raw material and finished product QC according to ISO 9001 guidelines. The company also manufactures dolls, children’s learning systems, and musical and RC toys.

Models from Shantou Chenghai Nanmei Skylink Toys Firm are subjected to a series of inspections, including toxicity tests, all of which are performed in-house. Designs comply with ASTM, CE and RoHS requirements.

All of Shantou Dihua Toys Co. Ltd’s sports toys meet ASTM and EN 71 standards. The company has 15 in-house QC technicians dedicated to ensuring that models are safe and valid for export.

Shipments go mainly to North America, the EU and Asia, with 30 percent carrying the in-house Dihua brand.

Shenzhen Eagle Creation Toys Co. Ltd has both ISO 9001:2000 and ICTI certification. In-house tests are conducted following ASTM F 963-03 and EN 71 standards.

Shenzhen Eagle has recently invested in advanced material analyzers from Taiwan. Among the company’s 500 workers, five technicians supervise QC.

ISO 9001:2000-certified Teemway Industrial Ltd’s sports toys are CE- and FCC-certified. Disney and Kmart in the US are among the major clients.

In Taiwan, Chang Jing Enterprise Co. sends samples to SGS for physical and chemical tests. All sports toys for export meet EN 71 requirements. Chyuan How Enterprise Co. Ltd and Lanserr Plastic

Industry Co. subcontract product inspections to SGS as well. The companies’ designs follow EN 71 standards and are exported to North America, the EU, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Sports toys from Min Cyuan Stationery Co. undergo QC to meet the strict directives of key export markets, including the US and Europe.

There are about 800 sports toy suppliers in the mainland. Shanghai and the provinces of Guangdong, Zhejiang and Jiangsu are major production centers.

Seventy-five percent of the mainland’s capacity is being utilized. Output in the line reached an estimated $120 million in 2007, with more than 80 percent exported, mostly on an OEM basis. The US, the EU, Japan and Hong Kong were the major destinations.

Shipments have increased 10 percent in the past year. The majority of makers expect sustained growth in coming months because of strong domestic and overseas demand.

In Taiwan, the industry is much smaller with about 15 manufacturers in the line, the majority of which conduct production domestically. Companies target the midrange and high end to avoid competing head-on with mainland counterparts.

In 2007, more than 500,000 sports toys were exported from the island. Eighty percent of shipments were under OEM and ODM contracts. The EU, the US and Japan absorbed the bulk of exports.