⚓ Ocean Freight Operations
At least 3 hard, comparable quotes — preferably 4 or more — must be received and entered 10 days before the estimated pickup date. Quotes must remain valid through booking. Fewer than 3 comparable quotes requires a documented manager exception recorded on the shipment.
Ready to Book unlocks only when every mandatory requirement up to and including T-10 is complete and at least 3 quotes count as comparable. Ready for Pickup unlocks only when everything up to and including T-2 is complete, documents included, and every conditional trigger has been answered.
A manager exception waives one named blocker and nothing else — the specific document, the specific missed deadline, or the 3-quote minimum. It never opens a gate wholesale, so any other blocker still holds the gate shut. If a blocker reappears after a gate was marked — an item reopened, a quote expired, a trigger flipped — the mark is cleared automatically and the card says when and why.
What this section covers
Shipment data is stored unencrypted in this browser profile's local storage, exactly like the rest of this portal. That means: anyone who uses this browser profile can read it — a shared or kiosk machine, a colleague on the same login, or anyone with access to the device — without signing in to Cloudflare Access again. It is not synced, not backed up, and not protected by the portal's access control once it is on disk. It is lost if browser site data is cleared, and it does not follow you to another machine or another browser.
Export to JSON for backups and handovers. On a shared machine, use Clear all freight data in the shipment bar when you are done, and keep personal contact details to the minimum the shipment actually needs.
Freight Partner Directory
These are real, established freight forwarders and brokers, listed so employees have somewhere concrete to send quote requests. Nordic Pirates has no commercial relationship with any of them unless a shipment records one, and no company here has been vetted for price, service, or financial standing. Always compare at least 3 quotes. Websites and quote/contact links were verified on 11 August 2026 — if a link 404s, find the current page and update the row before using it.
Send every request to at least 4 partners: pick 2 from the global/multi-lane group and 2 from the destination group for the market you are shipping to. Global forwarders give you a fast baseline; destination specialists usually win on final-mile and customs. Contact status below is tracked per shipment — switch shipment in the bar above to see another shipment's status.
Procurement Timeline
Enter the estimated pickup date in the Shipment Worksheet and every deadline below is calculated from it. Calculated deadlines are read-only — moving a deadline by hand would defeat the point of having one. A confirmed pickup date is recorded separately and does not move them. A mandatory item past its deadline is marked Overdue and the phase turns red; it blocks the readiness gates until it is closed, or until a manager exception is recorded naming that specific item. Only the two phases with no calendar deadline — In transit and Arrival — let you set dates yourself, and the T+3 close-out starts from the actual delivery date, not before.
Shipment Worksheet
Quote Comparison
At least 3 hard comparable quotes — preferably 4 or more — received and entered 10 days before pickup. Below 3, Ready to Book stays blocked until a manager exception is recorded with approver, reason, date, and mitigation.
Every quote must state explicitly whether duties, import VAT/GST, and destination taxes are inside the total or outside it. If the provider has not said, record it as Not stated and go back and ask — a quote where this is unknown is not comparable to one where it is excluded.
Documents & Readiness
Required needed for this shipment. Conditional needed only when the condition applies. Complete document exists and has been checked. Missing not there yet. Overdue past its deadline and still not complete.
Conditional slots turn Required on their own. Answer the trigger question in the Shipment Worksheet — dangerous goods and batteries, wooden packaging, insurance purchased, certificate of origin needed, toy-rated for the destination, damage on arrival — and the matching document flips to Required, loses its Not applicable option, and starts blocking Ready for Pickup. Leaving a trigger unanswered is itself a blocker: nobody can decide the document is unnecessary until the question is answered.
Since 1 July 2026 EU imports carry a fee of roughly EUR 3 per unique tariff code during the VAT transition (ViDA, expected to run until about 2028). Group items under the same tariff code where that is honest - board games are at 0% EU duty otherwise, so the codes on the invoice are the only thing driving this cost. Source: Spiral Galaxy advisory, July 2026.
Global Compliance Portal
In every major market (EU, UK, USA, Australia, Canada), a product rated 14+ is legally not a toy. CE, UKCA, and equivalent markings are not required. A 13 or lower rating makes the product a toy — triggering mandatory safety testing. This is why LP currently uses 14+.
Confirmed by Naylor Games (Dom Martin, June 2026): CE/UKCA on a 14+ box is misleading — it implies it's a certified toy when it legally isn't. For 14+ products: no CE marking, no UKCA. A product rated 13+ that genuinely had EN 71 testing done is fine — but don't apply the marks speculatively.
Three regulatory shifts are now live, all reflected in this portal:
1. US CPSC eFiling is mandatory since 8 July 2026. Every US customs entry must carry certificate data electronically (children's products) or a disclaim code (14+ games, mugs). See the USA page.
2. EU packaging rules (PPWR) apply since 12 August 2026. New duties on packaging substances and documentation. See the EU page.
3. Lacey Act enforcement is strict in practice. Our broker rejected two declarations in August 2026. Species must be a full botanical name ("Betula verrucosa", never "Birch", never "spp.") and weights must cover the declared shipment only. Do not file "Betula verrucosa" as it stands - it is an outdated synonym, and the accepted name is Betula pendula. See the USA page and the Document Library.
Also: the UK now accepts CE marking indefinitely (UKCA is optional), and an 8+ board game without magnets or batteries triggers no mandatory standard in Australia.
| Certification | When mandatory | When nice-to-have | Indicative cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| CE marking (EU) | Products for children under 14 in EU/EEA | Not applicable for 14+ products | €800–2,500 / SKU |
| UKCA marking (UK) | Never - CE is recognised in GB indefinitely for toys since 1 October 2024, so UKCA is an optional alternative | Only if a GB buyer specifically asks for a UKCA-marked variant | £700–2,000 / SKU |
| UK Responsible Person | Never for toys - the duty-holder is the GB importer (Zatu buying wholesale) | If we ever sell direct to GB consumers, where no GB importer exists | £150 / year |
| CPSC / ASTM F963 (USA) | Products for children under 12 in USA | Not required for 12+ or 14+ products | $600–2,000 / SKU |
| AS/NZS ISO 8124 (AUS) | Only where a mandatory standard bites: toys for 36 months and under, lead for 6 years and under, under-14 toys with magnets, and button batteries in any product | An 8+ game with no magnets and no batteries triggers no mandatory standard - EN 71 / ISO 8124 reports are the evidence pack the AU importer expects | AUD 800–2,000 / SKU |
| FSC Certification | Never mandatory | Amazon Climate Pledge Friendly badge, ~10% more page views | Via manufacturer |
No CE, no UKCA, no CPSC testing required. The UK Responsible Person address via Naylor Games (£150) is not legally required for toys at all - keep it as a commercial option for the day we sell direct to GB consumers, when no GB importer exists to carry the duty.
8+ makes TAP10 a toy in the EU, the UK, the USA and Canada. Testing labs have 4-8 week queues. Without EN 71 and a signed EU Declaration of Conformity, and without ASTM F963-23 testing plus a CPC issued in our own name, TAP10 cannot legally be sold to children in those markets. Action required immediately.
Australia is the exception: an 8+ board game with no magnets and no batteries triggers no mandatory standard there. The EN 71 reports still serve as the evidence pack the Australian importer will ask for.
Age Rating Guide
The Four Zones
- No small parts
- No cord >220mm
- ⚠ triangle mandatory
- Strictest chemicals
- Not relevant for NP
- CE required in EU
- UKCA required in UK
- CPSC required in USA (<12)
- EN 71 testing needed
- TAP10 (8+) is here
- Still a toy in EU/UK
- Outside CPSC in USA
- EN 71 → full CE possible
- Naylor Games' own products are 13+
- Unlocks EU retail/school
- Not a toy anywhere
- No CE/UKCA needed
- Simplest import
- General safety still applies
- LP & CoG are here
Should LP change its age rating?
Recommendation
- LP & Cities of Greed: Stay at 14+. If a specific EU retailer or school distributor requires CE, consider 13+ and budget EN 71 testing (~€1,500/SKU). Don't change the rating until you have a concrete distribution deal that requires it.
- TAP10 (8+): Rating is set. Begin EN 71 / UKCA / CPSC testing immediately — labs have 4–8 week queues and the September window is at risk.
- Big Box / future titles: Decide age rating before artwork lockdown, not after. It affects box content, testing timeline, and costs.
What 8+ requires on-box (TAP10)
| Label element | EU (CE) | UK (UKCA) | USA | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age rating (8+) | ✓ Mandatory | ✓ Mandatory | ✓ Mandatory | Prominently displayed |
| Small parts warning ⚠ | If applicable | If applicable | If applicable | Triangle + text if small parts present |
| CE mark | ✓ Mandatory | — Not for EU CE | — | On box or label |
| UKCA mark | — | ✓ Mandatory | — | Separate from CE mark |
| EU Representative address | ✓ Mandatory | — | — | NP Sweden address |
| UK Responsible Person address | — | ✓ Mandatory | — | Naylor Games (£150/yr) |
| ASTM F963 reference | — | — | ✓ Mandatory | "Meets ASTM F963" on label |
| Tracking label / batch code | Recommended | Recommended | ✓ Mandatory (CPSIA) | Lot, date, country of origin |
| Bilingual EN+FR | — | — | — | Canada only — if selling there |
NP Product Status
Lying Pirates
Cities of Greed
TAP10
Big Box
| Action | Market | Timeline | Cost est. | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Submit to EN 71 testing lab | 🇪🇺 EU | Now — 4–6 week turnaround | €800–1,500 | |
| Get UKCA test report (parallel to EN 71) | 🇬🇧 UK | Now — runs parallel | £700–1,200 | |
| Confirm UK Responsible Person (Naylor Games) | 🇬🇧 UK | This week — call Chris/Dom | £150 | |
| CPSC-accredited lab test + CPC | 🇺🇸 USA | 4–8 weeks | $600–1,500 | |
| Add ASTM F963 text to US label | 🇺🇸 USA | Before print approval | Print cost | |
| Age rating 8+ prominent on box front | 🌍 All | Before print approval | Print cost | |
| Tracking label (lot, date, origin) | 🌍 All | Before print approval | Print cost |
📚 Document Library
How to use this page
Every document that moves our games around the world - what it is, who makes it, where it lives. Files live in Google Drive (one folder per shipment); this page is the map. If a document is not in Drive within a week of existing, chase it - future-you will search for it during a customs hold.
Every card has a status field. Use it for where the current version lives, who owes it to us, and the date it was last checked. It saves in this browser, like the rest of the portal.
Sixteen real documents, from shipments we have actually done
Every document below is a real one we produced or received. Use them as the pattern for a new shipment instead of starting from a blank page: two Lacey declarations (the factory original, and the version our broker finally accepted), two bills of lading, six commercial invoices, four packing lists, a freight quote and the US clearance charge sheet.
Read the two Lacey files together. The broker rejected our first two attempts: one said “Birch”, one said “Betula spp.” Neither passes. It needs a full two-word scientific name, and weights covering only the shipment in front of you, not the whole original container.
Safety test reports. CE, UKCA and ASTM F963 / EN 71-1/2/3 (marked Pass) for Lying Pirates, all under lab reference EFW525101908-CG-01, live in TEST RESULTS UKCE compliance → Lying Pirates Production 2025. The ASTM / EN 71 one is what a US buyer or the CPSC asks for.
Gap: those cover the 2025 production run. The folder for Lying Pirates & Tap10 2026 is empty - current stock has no test reports on file. If anyone asks about 2026 production, go to Sunny at BODA before promising a date; lab testing takes weeks.
YYYY-MM - [reference] - [route] - [what]
For example: 2026-08 - S00003557 - Canada to Bridge USA - Lying Pirates leftover batch.
The reference is the shipment number, so a customs question years later resolves in one search.
What it is: our order to the factory - SKUs, quantities, prices, incoterm and named place, plus the compliance clauses (who pays fumigation, who certifies what, notify us before any material or supplier change).
Who issues it: Nordic Pirates to Boda Games.
Goes wrong: the PO price does not equal the commercial-invoice price, which makes the customs value indefensible. Treatment wording missing for Australia, so the certificate that arrives is unusable.
What it is: the primary customs valuation document. Per-line HS code, plain description, unit prices, origin CN, weights, and any separately paid amounts.
Customs value differs per lane: USA excludes international freight and insurance (FOB basis); EU and UK include freight to the border; Australia is FOB, with freight and insurance entering only the GST base (VoTI).
Insurance is not the invoice value: we insure at 110% of CIF - never copy the insured value onto the commercial invoice.
The trap: tooling and moulds paid separately are dutiable assists (19 USC 1401a in the USA, Art 71 UCC in the EU). Amortise them over the units and declare them - undeclared assists surface in an audit years later.
What it is: carton-level detail - one SKU per carton with carton ranges, weights and dimensions per carton, and a pallet map.
Who issues it: the factory, checked by us against the carton photos.
Goes wrong: invoice quantity, packing-list quantity and bill-of-lading count disagree. That three-way mismatch is the single biggest cause of holds in all four customs systems. It is also where our per-shipment Lacey weights come from, so an inaccurate packing list breaks the US filing too.
What it is: the forwarder's confirmation naming the vessel and the four cut-offs: shipping instructions, VGM, CY gate-in, and documentation.
Goes wrong: the booking rolls and nobody re-times the security filing. A rolled booking invalidates the ISF (USA) or ENS (EU/UK) timing, and it has to be refiled.
What it is: shipping instructions (what goes on the bill of lading) and the SOLAS verified gross mass of the container.
Goes wrong: no VGM, no load. There is no appeal and no grace period.
What it is: the master B/L runs carrier to forwarder; the house B/L runs forwarder to us and is our working document.
Three release forms: original (three signed copies, released against surrender - payment security, but courier risk), telex release (surrendered at origin, released electronically), and seaway bill (non-negotiable, named consignee, nothing to courier). Seaway bill is the right answer on our trusted hub lanes.
Goes wrong: an original B/L sits in courier limbo while demurrage runs. Separately, an unpaid factory can block a telex release under FOB open account - agree the release mechanism in the PO, not at the port.
What it is: the carrier or forwarder telling the notify party the vessel is arriving. It is what wakes the broker up.
Goes wrong: the wrong notify party on the B/L, so nobody sees it and free time burns silently into demurrage.
What it is: the last document in the chain - the terminal releases the container against it.
Goes wrong: it is withheld for an unpaid freight invoice or an unsurrendered B/L while storage accrues.
What it is: the forwarder's bill. It is also a customs document: EU and UK customs value includes freight to the border, and Australia needs it for the VoTI calculation.
Goes wrong: nobody reconciles it against the accepted quote, so surcharges that were never quoted become the new normal.
What it is: ICC(A) all-risks cover at 110% of CIF. The assured party must match whoever actually bears the risk under the incoterm.
Why it matters more than it looks: if the ship has a fire, general average is declared and the insurer posts the guarantee. An uninsured shipper pays salvage security in cash before the cargo moves.
What it is: the baoguandan, filed by the factory's agent. It is tied to the factory's 13% VAT rebate, which is why the factory cares that the declared values match our commercial invoice.
Why we want it: it is the cheapest cross-check that the factory declared the same values we did.
USA, EU, UK: not required for Chinese-origin goods - the origin statement on the commercial invoice is enough.
Australia: not needed for the games, which are duty-free anyway. But a ChAFTA preferential certificate of origin zeroes roughly 5% duty on the bamboo mugs (HS 4419) - worth ordering when mugs are in the container. Confirm with the AU broker before you pay for one.
What it is: wood packaging - pallets, crates, dunnage - must be heat-treated (56 C for 30 minutes) or fumigated, and stamped with the IPPC mark on both sides.
Goes wrong: in the USA a non-compliant pallet gets the entire shipment refused and re-exported. Plastic pallets sidestep the whole regime - the standard board-game answer.
Not the same thing as: the Australian treatment certificates for wooden and bamboo parts of the product itself. Those are a separate document, below.
What it is: the Importer Security Filing, filed by the broker under our bond at least 24 hours before loading in China.
Penalty: $5,000 per violation, up to $10,000 per shipment.
Goes wrong: the booking rolls and nobody re-times it. Give the broker the data 72 hours before loading so a roll still leaves room.
What it is: 3461 is the release request at arrival; 7501 is the entry summary with duties, due within 10 working days.
Duty on 9504.90.6000 from China as of August 2026: 0% most-favoured-nation plus 7.5% (List 4A) plus 12.5% forced-labor tariff effective 24 July 2026 - about 20% effective, plus MPF 0.3464% and HMF 0.125%.
Goes wrong: the chapter-99 surtax lines are missing from the entry, which is penalty exposure, not a saving. Keep entry records: IEEPA tariffs were struck down in February 2026 and refund litigation is still running.
What it is: an electronic declaration filed by the broker in ACE. Paper PPQ 505 forms have been dead since 1 January 2026 - our filled PDF is now the data sheet we hand the broker, not the filing.
What it needs: full botanical name in GRIN spelling, country of harvest, metric weight of the plant material in this shipment only, and the recycled percentage for paperboard.
Goes wrong: common names ("Birch"), "spp.", non-GRIN spellings, and whole-container weights on a part shipment. All four got our declarations rejected in August 2026. See the USA page for the full rules.
What it is: certificate data transmitted electronically with every entry, filed by the broker as the CPSC message set in ACE.
Children's products (TAP 10): register the CPC in the CPSC Product Registry and hand the broker the reference IDs as a standing instruction.
General-use products (LP 14+, bamboo mugs): the broker files a disclaim code - nothing to certify.
Goes wrong: nobody sets it up because missing data currently returns warnings rather than rejections. It still feeds risk-targeting, and a hold can run 60 days at our cost.
What it is not: there is no FDA prior notice and no facility registration - a food-contact article is not "food".
What it is: the mugs are FDA-regulated at entry (21 CFR 174-178). The compliance file is migration and extraction test reports plus the factory's composition statement. Melamine composites need 21 CFR 177.1460 extraction tests.
What it is: the entry summary declaration, filed 24 hours before loading. House-level filing has been mandatory since April 2025.
Goes wrong: a vague goods description. "Games" or "gifts" earns a do-not-load message, and the container stays on the quay.
What it is: the customs entry. Board games classify under TARIC 9504 90 80 at 0% duty; the customs value includes freight and insurance to the border.
The trap: a card-only SKU classified as playing cards (9504 40 00) pays 2.7%. Bind flagship SKUs with a Binding Tariff Information ruling if the volume justifies it.
Since 1 July 2026: roughly EUR 3 per unique tariff code during the EU VAT transition (ViDA), expected to run to about 2028. Group items under the same honest tariff code.
What it is: import VAT (21%) shifted to the periodic return instead of paid at the border. Zero cash at import.
How a foreign company gets it: through a Dutch fiscal representative, or a limited fiscal representative - the forwarder imports under its own ITS licence, which is the plug-and-play arrangement. If Meeples is importer of record, their Article 23 covers it.
Goes wrong: nobody confirms it and 21% of the container value goes out in cash at the border.
What it is: for a toy-rated SKU (under 14) the DoC is signed by Nordic Pirates as manufacturer and kept 10 years, with the technical file behind it. Self-verification under Module A is fine for a board game - no notified body.
Never accept: a factory-signed "CE certificate" as the DoC. Only the legal manufacturer signs. The factory supplies evidence; every declaration is ours.
Not filed at the border - it must exist and be producible on request.
What it is: the packaging must carry the responsible operator's name, postal address and an electronic address (email or URL). Nordic Pirates is that operator as a Swedish company.
Goes wrong: border checks can stop a consignment lacking it, and online listings must show the same details plus product identifier and warnings.
What it is: our own packaging file - the EU Declaration of Conformity per packaging type (Annex VIII, kept 5 years), the technical file, the factory's heavy-metal evidence and supplier declaration, and our EPR registration numbers.
Retrieval clock: producible to an authority within 10 days of a request.
Not a border document: there is no per-shipment customs gate for a PPWR DoC. The year-one exposure is marketplaces and fulfilment centres suspending sellers with missing EPR numbers. See the EU page.
What it is: the GB safety and security entry declaration, filed 24 hours before loading. The carrier normally files it.
Confirm, do not assume: ask the forwarder in writing who is filing it for each booking.
What it is: the UK customs entry. Commodity 9504908000 carries 0.00% duty (verified against the UK Integrated Online Tariff) and 20% VAT.
Note: the GB EORI is separate from the EU one. Our Swedish EORI does not work here.
What it is: a per-entry tick on the CDS declaration. Import VAT is declared and reclaimed on the same return - no cash at the border, and no application to make.
Goes wrong: nobody instructs the broker, so the broker defaults to a deferment account and adds a disbursement fee. It has to be said on every entry.
Then: download the monthly PVA statements - they expire from the portal.
What it is: the full import declaration for goods over AUD 1,000, lodged by a licensed customs broker. Duty on 9504.90 is free; GST is 10% on the value of the taxable importation.
What it is: an Australia-specific declaration signed by the packer: no straw, chaff or rice hulls; timber and bamboo packaging ISPM 15 compliant; a container cleanliness statement.
The efficient version: an annual packing declaration on the supplier's letterhead covers 12 months.
Goes wrong: missing declaration means automatic inspection, fees and days lost.
What it is: wooden and bamboo parts of the product (dice, meeples, inserts, bamboo mugs) are regulated through BICON. They must be highly processed (plywood, MDF) or treated with a certificate: methyl bromide, sulfuryl fluoride (at least 48 h, at least 20 C, at least 29 g/m3, CT at least 3000), or heat at 56 C for 30 minutes.
The certificate must carry the exact conformity sentence about plastic wrapping, impervious surfaces and timber thickness, plus rates, duration, temperatures and dates.
How China fails it: a fumigator that is not AFAS-listed; goods shrink-wrapped before fumigation, which voids the certificate; missing data; a certificate dated after the shipment. Untreated on arrival means treat onshore, export or destroy, at our cost.
Our rule: pull the BICON case before the PO, put the treatment and the certificate wording into the PO, and use an AFAS-accredited fumigator only.
What it is: the brown marmorated stink bug seasonal measures. China was on the "emerging risk" list for 2025-26, which meant random onshore inspections and no mandatory offshore treatment.
Action: the 2026-27 list lands around September 2026. Check it before any autumn sailing - the requirement can change between one booking and the next.
What it is: the deferred GST scheme moves the 10% from the border to the monthly BAS. Application form NAT 75136.
The catch: it requires monthly BAS lodgement. A quarterly lodger is ineligible.
What they are: EN 71-1/-2/-3 for the EU and UK, ASTM F963-23 for the USA, and the Canadian total-lead add-on for Canada. Reports must be in Nordic Pirates' name and cover the final bill of materials.
Canada is not covered by EN 71: Canada uses total-lead methods, so EN 71-3 migration data is not like-for-like. Ask the lab for the Canadian add-on explicitly.
Goes wrong: the lab is not CPSC-accepted for that specific test scope, or the test is stale - retest at least every year, or every two with a production testing plan.
Who issues it: the importer of record. Never the factory, never the lab. A lab-drafted CPC naming the factory is the single most common defect in China-sourced paperwork, and it is invalid.
Contents: one product per CPC, every applicable rule cited, certifier and records custodian, place and date of manufacture, test date and lab, and the attestation (16 CFR 1110.11).
Then: load it into the CPSC Product Registry so the broker can reference it at entry.
What it is: the factory's chain-of-custody certificate, which is what lets us use the FSC label and claim the Amazon Climate Pledge Friendly badge.
Keep it anyway: large retailers ask for it contractually even where no law requires it.
What it is: a one-line written statement from the factory that the bamboo is plantation-grown - in practice moso, Phyllostachys edulis.
Why it is worth chasing: cultivated bamboo counts as a common cultivar, so the broker files disclaim code A and bamboo drops out of every future US Lacey filing. Bamboo triggered a PPQ 505 on shipment 5202112 - this statement is how that stops happening.
Ask Boda and Yori in writing: "Are the mugs solid bamboo, or bamboo fibre in a melamine or plastic resin?"
Why: bamboo fibre in melamine is banned in EU food contact and has been withdrawn EU-wide since 2021. Solid pure bamboo is fine but needs food-contact migration test reports under Regulation 1935/2004. In the USA the FDA governs, and a melamine composite needs 21 CFR 177.1460 extraction tests.
File the answer plus the test reports in Product Safety & Testing.
What it is: a short signed memo explaining why a 14+ game is graded 14+ - adult humour, mechanics, marketing, packaging. It is the answer to a marketplace classifier or a regulator asking why there is no toy testing.
Keep it aligned: box, listing and ads must all say the same age. Marketing that says "ages 8+" legally re-grades the product no matter what the box says.
✅ Master Shipment Checklist
Tick the box when the thing is actually true, not when it has been asked for. The status line is for the reference (a filing number, a person, a certificate ID) and the date is when you confirmed it. The progress bar counts only the required items - the rest are conditional and depend on what is in the container.
🇪🇺 European Union
"Bamboo-fibre" mugs are usually melamine plastic with bamboo filler - and that combination is banned in EU food contact, enforced since 2021 with EU-wide withdrawals. Solid pure bamboo is fine but needs food-contact migration test reports (Regulation 1935/2004). In the US, the FDA governs: a melamine composite needs 21 CFR 177.1460 extraction tests.
Ask Boda and Yori in writing: "Are the mugs solid bamboo, or bamboo fibre in a melamine/plastic resin?" - and file the answer plus the test reports in Drive (Product Safety & Testing).
Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 was published on 12 December 2025, entered into force 1 January 2026, and applies from 1 August 2030. Directive 2009/48/EC remains the applicable law until then, and toys compliant with today's rules can be placed on the market right up to 1 August 2030.
From then: a Digital Product Passport per toy, PFAS and bisphenol bans, minimum warning text sizes, and online listings that must show the CE mark, the warnings and a DPP link. Start artwork and reformulation decisions around 2028 for any SKU still selling then.
Under PPWR the legally responsible party is the brand owner and EU importer - Nordic Pirates, not the factory. The factory has no direct PPWR obligations. NP signs the EU Declaration of Conformity (self-assessment: no notified body, and no third-party certificate exists), keeps the technical file, registers for EPR, and puts its name and address on the box. The factory only supplies data and evidence.
- Packaging bill of materials: every packaging component (box, insert, shrink, baggies, master carton), material, weight in grams.
- Heavy-metals evidence per material family: test reports or upstream material declarations showing Pb+Cd+Hg+Cr(VI) at 100 mg/kg or less - the same limit as since 2001, so any EU-supplying factory has this. One report per material family, renewed on change, not per shipment.
- A one-paragraph written supplier declaration: "packaging for SKU X complies with PPWR Art 5; composition per attached spec."
- Only if any packaging touches food: a total-fluorine screen (under 50 ppm is fine). Our game boxes do not. The mug is a product, not packaging, so the PPWR PFAS rule does not apply to it.
- "PPWR certificates" - there is no such thing
- Factory-issued Declarations of Conformity - legally impossible, only the manufacturer signs
- Recyclability A/B/C reports - the criteria do not exist until 2028 and the duty starts in 2030
- Recycled-content certificates - 2030
- Per-shipment lab tests
The ready-to-send email that says all of this politely is in Templates.
1. EU Declaration of Conformity - one per packaging type (Annex VIII model), kept 5 years.
2. Technical file - packaging component list with weights, materials, heavy-metal reports, minimisation note. Producible within 10 days of an authority request.
3. Box artwork - NP name, postal address and batch/type identifier on the packaging, or in the accompanying documents during the transition.
Sweden - Naturvardsverket plus a producer responsibility organisation.
Netherlands - register with Verpact. Fees only above 50 t/yr for now.
Germany, if selling B2C there - LUCID. Existing registrations must be adjusted by 12 November 2026.
France, if selling B2C - CITEO IDU. Note France also has a separate toys EPR scheme via Ecomaison, for the game itself.
- Now: substances, Declaration of Conformity, EPR.
- ~2028: the harmonised sorting label - the date is slipping. E-commerce mailers are included.
- 2030: recyclability grades A/B/C required; recycled-content minimums in plastic parts; a maximum 50% empty space in shipping cartons; stricter minimisation.
- 2038: only grades A and B.
The Commission's August 2026 FAQ sets a corrective-first posture: a warning before sanctions. There is no per-shipment customs gate for a PPWR Declaration of Conformity - checks are risk-based.
Stock released before 12 August 2026 may sell indefinitely.
The real year-one risk is different: marketplaces and fulfilment centres suspending sellers whose EPR numbers are missing.
Finished games under HS 9504 are not in the regulation's product list, packaging serving the product is exempt, and bamboo is not "wood" in this law. No due-diligence statements are needed for game imports - even with birch dice inside.
One trap: importing loose wooden components on their own customs code would be in scope from December 2026. Always ship components inside the finished-game shipment. Keep FSC and supplier origin declarations anyway - big retailers ask for them contractually.
- EN 71-1: Mechanical & physical (sharp edges, small parts)
- EN 71-2: Flammability
- EN 71-3: Chemical migration (heavy metals — per color/material)
Language of the warnings: warnings must appear in the language of every EU country of sale - the word "Warning" and the text itself, in Dutch, German, French and so on as Meeples distributes. Plan box and rulebook languages before print lockdown, not after.
General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR, effective Dec 2024) applies. No EN 71, no CE mark, no toy DoC needed.
NP is the EU responsible operator as a Swedish company. Packaging must carry the name, the postal address and an electronic address (email or URL).
Keep a signed two-page risk analysis per product for 10 years. Online offers must show the manufacturer name, the addresses, the product identifier and the warnings. A batch identifier on the product gives us traceability.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
CE marking has been recognised indefinitely in Great Britain for toys since 1 October 2024 (SI 2024/696). UKCA is an optional alternative, not a requirement. This page previously said UKCA had been mandatory since January 2023 - that was true once and is now out of date. No separate GB box variant is needed.
Dom Martin & Chris Matthews (ex-Zatu) offer: UK Responsible Person address £150 + B2B sales support to UK/EU distributors. Chris knows NP products from his Zatu days. The £150 is just for the address — testing is additional and separate.
There is no mandatory UK Responsible Person for toys as of August 2026, so this buys us nothing today. It becomes useful the day we sell direct to GB consumers, because then no GB importer exists to carry the duty. Watch the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 reform - secondary legislation is expected late 2026 to 2027 and may make a UK responsible person mandatory.
Not a "responsible person" - the importer: the first UK-established entity placing the toy on the GB market. Zatu buying wholesale is that importer. It verifies conformity and puts its own name and address on the toy, the packaging or the documents.
If we ever ship direct to consumers with only a 3PL in GB, no importer exists and that is the gap the reform is aimed at.
🇺🇸 United States
CPSIA covers children's products for ages 12 and under. Products rated 13+ or 14+ do not require CPSC third-party testing or a Children's Product Certificate. ASTM F963-23 became mandatory April 2024.
- LP (14+) and CoG (14+): no CPSC testing ✓
- TAP10 (8+): full CPSC testing required ✗
- 13+ also avoids CPSC requirements
ASTM F963-23 testing at a CPSC-accepted lab (check the lab's acceptance covers each specific test: cpsc.gov lab search). Children's Product Certificate (CPC) - issued by the importer of record, never the factory and never the lab; a lab-drafted CPC naming the factory is the #1 defect in China-sourced paperwork. Tracking label on box (name, production city and country, month/year, batch).
Cost savers: CMYK-printed paper/cardboard is exempt from lead-substrate testing (16 CFR 1500.91); PP/PE/PS/ABS plastics are exempt from phthalate testing (16 CFR 1308) - soft PVC is the risk material.
Every US customs entry now carries certificate data electronically (CPSC message set in ACE, filed by the broker).
Children's products (TAP 10): register the CPC in the CPSC Product Registry and give the broker the reference IDs as standing instruction.
General-use products (LP 14+, bamboo mugs): the broker files a disclaim code - nothing to certify.
Missing data currently returns warnings, not rejections, but feeds CPSC risk-targeting (holds and exams up to 60 days at the importer's cost). Treat as hard-mandatory.
Retest at least every 1 year (2 years with a production testing plan). Any material change - new ink, resin, paint, factory - means retesting the changed component and a new CPC before sale.
Put "notify us before any material or supplier change" in every PO. Keep an undue-influence policy on file (one page, signed) - required by 16 CFR 1107.24 even for a two-person importer.
Amazon US requires CPSC documentation for children's products (8+). Upload CPC and test reports to Seller Central before listing TAP10. For 14+: standard seller compliance, no special docs.
Amazon's classifiers often demand toy documentation even for 14+ party games. Response: age-grading rationale letter plus box images showing 14+. Keep box, listing and ads aligned - marketing that says "ages 8+" would legally re-grade the product.
"Birch" was rejected - a common name. "Betula spp." was rejected - "Spp. is not a valid scientific species name". And note that the supplier's "Betula verrucosa" is an outdated synonym: the accepted name is Betula pendula, and the US filing system validates names against the official GRIN plant-name list, so file "Betula pendula". Chinese-made birch is often actually Betula platyphylla - if the factory cannot certify one species, declare each plausible species as its own line.
Get the binomial from the factory in writing before shipping. That written statement is the legal "due care" file.
The factory's form for the original full container (5,651.81 kg paper / 61.79 kg wood) was rejected for a part-shipment. Derive per-shipment kilograms from the packing list: kg per unit multiplied by units shipped.
Our derivation script and a worked example live in the shipment archive folder in Drive.
The factory (Boda Games, Sunny Ma) fills Section 2: HTSUS, article, genus and species, country of harvest, weight, percentage recycled. The importer or broker fills Section 1 and files. The factory copy is unsigned.
Send the complete Lacey data to the broker at least 72 hours before vessel loading - a rejected form holds customs clearance for days.
- Paperboard: declared as paper/cardboard, China, 80% recycled
- Wood parts: Betula verrucosa, China, 0% recycled (file as Betula pendula - see above)
- Bamboo (mugs): declare as bamboo; get the genus from the factory if asked. Bamboo triggered a PPQ 505 on shipment 5202112
The declaration is filed electronically by the broker in ACE. Our filled PPQ 505 PDF is now the data sheet we hand the broker, not the filing itself. There are no blanket declarations - one per entry.
Games under HTS 9504.90.60 have been declaration-flagged since 1 December 2024 (Phase VII). Bamboo tableware (4419) has been flagged since 2009. All-paper products such as playing cards are not yet flagged - "Phase VIII" has no date and 2027 is the earliest realistic one.
Have the broker check the AL1 flag on the exact 10-digit line, not the 6-digit heading.
Recycled paperboard declares SPECIAL/RECYCLED plus an average percentage recycled - no species and no country needed at all. Virgin composite board is SPECIAL/COMPOSITE.
Wooden parts always need real species lines. Plywood is not composite: every layer's species must be declared, and Chinese birch plywood often has poplar cores, so it needs Betula lines and Populus lines.
Cultivated bamboo counts as a "common cultivar", so no declaration is needed and the broker files disclaim code A. It requires one line in writing from the factory saying the bamboo is plantation-grown (moso, Phyllostachys edulis).
Get this statement once and it removes bamboo from every future US filing.
Cartons and pallets carrying the goods are exempt from Lacey; pallets are the separate ISPM 15 stamp regime. The retail game box is part of the product and is declared as composite or recycled board.
An honest, documented error costs roughly $250 plus the entry delay. A knowing false statement is a felony. "Due care" means written supplier statements on file - which is why the binomial has to arrive in writing before the goods do.
One bill-of-materials sheet per SKU - component, material, species in GRIN spelling, harvest country, weight per unit, percentage recycled - handed to the broker. They key it every entry.
The blank sheet and the saved values live in Templates; the document card lives in the Document Library.
🇦🇺 Australia & New Zealand
This page previously implied that TAP10 at 8+ needs full AS/NZS ISO 8124 testing. That was overstated. Australia's mandatory standards bite in four places, and an 8+ board game with no magnets and no batteries hits none of them. EN 71 / ISO 8124 reports remain the evidence pack the Australian importer expects, so keep them - just do not budget them as a legal gate.
- Toys for children 36 months and under - small parts. Not us.
- Lead and certain elements: only toys for 6 years and under. Not us (a limited review opened November 2025).
- Under-14 toys containing magnets. Not us, unless a future component adds them.
- Button and coin batteries in any product - an instant trigger the day an electronic timer is added.
Wooden and bamboo parts of the product go through BICON: highly processed (plywood, MDF) or treated with a valid certificate from an AFAS-accredited fumigator. A mandatory packing declaration signed by the packer comes with every FCL.
Full detail, including the ways Chinese certificates fail, is on the Document Library page and in the Australian lane of the Shipment Checklist.
🇨🇦 Canada
Any mandatory text on packaging (age ratings, warnings, safety info) must appear in both English and French — this applies to all products, not just toys. Unique Canadian requirement that affects even 14+ products if they have required labels.
Rules and instructions must exist in French, with equal prominence. Under section 54, a text-driven game may be sold with non-French text only if a French version is available in Québec on terms that are no less favourable. There is no board-game exemption.
Two honest options: publish a bilingual EN/FR edition, or exclude Québec contractually in the distribution agreement. Decide which before any Canadian print run - it is an artwork decision, not a paperwork one.
- Lead in accessible parts: 90 mg/kg (SOR/2018-83)
- Surface coatings: lead 90 mg/kg, mercury 10 mg/kg (SOR/2016-193)
- Phthalates if soft vinyl is present (SOR/2016-188)
The trap: Canada uses total-lead methods. EN 71-3 migration data alone is not equivalent - ask the lab for the Canadian add-on explicitly. There is no certification mark and no pre-approval: hold the reports.
🌏 Asia-Pacific
No single Asia-Pacific toy safety standard. Enforcement for imported board games is generally lighter than EU/UK/US. CE certification (from EU compliance) is widely accepted as a quality signal in Asia even where not legally required. EU testing covers you here.
| Market | Standard | 14+ threshold? | Key requirement | NP status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇵🇭 Philippines | RA 10620 | Yes — under 14 | Bureau of Customs import permit for toys. CE/equivalent accepted. | LP/CoG (14+) clear ✓ |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | MS 1783 | Yes — under 14 | SIRIM cert or EN 71 accepted by distributors. 14+ clears as general merchandise. | LP/CoG (14+) clear ✓ |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | EN 71 accepted | Yes — under 14 | Consumer Protection Act. EN 71 reports accepted as quality evidence. | LP/CoG (14+) clear ✓ |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | ST Mark (voluntary) | Yes — broadly 14 | No mandatory testing for imports. EN 71 accepted. Distributor handles compliance. | All products via distributor ✓ |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | KC Mark | Yes — under 14 | KC certification mandatory for toys. 14+ products are general goods. | Not current market — |
Our Partners
Click the Edit button (bottom right) to add or update partner details. All data is saved in your browser. Use Export JSON to back it up or share with the team.
UK Compliance
| Company | Contact | Service | Cost | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Freight & customs
| Company | Contact | Role | Notes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Testing Labs (EN 71 / UKCA / CPSC)
| Lab | Contact / Quote ref | Coverage | Quoted price | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Other contacts
| Company / Person | Contact | Role | Notes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Sustainable & Amazon
FSC Certification
- ~10% increase in product page views
- Featured in sustainable deal sections
- ~9.7% higher willingness to pay
- 77% of UK shoppers only trust certified sustainability claims
Other certifications
| Certification | Covers | Mandatory? | Value for NP |
|---|---|---|---|
| FSC | Sustainable forest paper/wood | Optional | Amazon CPF badge, premium buyers, B2B procurement sustainability requirements |
| Soy-based inks | Eco printing | Optional | Good PR, some retailers require it. Minimal cost premium. |
| ISO 14001 | Environmental management (manufacturer) | Optional | Large retail chain procurement sometimes requires from manufacturers |
| B Corp | Full social/environmental company cert | Optional | Brand positioning, investor narrative — high effort, not yet relevant for NP |
Cost Overview
Costs vary by product complexity, number of component types and colors, and chosen lab. A card-heavy game costs less than one with many different colored plastics. Request quotes from SGS, TÜV Rheinland, Bureau Veritas, or via your Chinese manufacturer.
| Certification | Market | Applies to | Estimated cost | Timeline | Recurring? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EN 71 + CE | 🇪🇺 EU | TAP10 (8+) only | €800–2,500 / SKU | 4–6 weeks | On design change |
| UKCA | 🇬🇧 UK | TAP10 (8+) only | £700–1,500 / SKU | 4–6 weeks | On design change |
| UK Responsible Person | 🇬🇧 UK | All products (useful) | £150 / year | Immediate | Annual |
| CPSC / ASTM F963 | 🇺🇸 USA | TAP10 (8+) only | $600–1,500 / SKU | 4–8 weeks | On design change |
| AS/NZS ISO 8124 | 🇦🇺 AUS | TAP10 (8+) only | AUD 800–2,000 / SKU | 4–6 weeks | On design change |
| FSC trademark license | All | All products (optional) | ~500–1,000 SEK / year | Quick | Annual |
| TAP10 total est. | EU + UK + USA | TAP10 | €2,000–5,000 total | 6–8 weeks | On change |
| LP / CoG compliance | All markets | LP, CoG | €0 testing needed | — | — |
Cost-saving tips
- Bundle EU + UK: Same lab handles EN 71 and UKCA simultaneously. One sample shipment, dual cert. Ask for combined quote — typically 20–40% cheaper than separate.
- Use your manufacturer's lab network: Chinese manufacturers have relationships with accredited labs and often bundle testing into production at lower cost.
- Fewer component colors = less chemical testing: EN 71-3 is priced per color/material combination. Simplifying TAP10's palette saves cost.
- Test final samples, not prototypes: Design changes after a failed test = full re-test cost. Submit production-ready samples only.
- US + EU dual-accredited labs: SGS, TÜV Rheinland, Bureau Veritas are accredited for both CPSC and EN 71. One submission covers both regions.
Logistics Overview
This must be stated explicitly in every purchase order and confirmed in writing by the factory. Mixed cartons cause receiving errors at all hubs, delay warehouse intake, and create inventory reconciliation problems. One SKU per master carton, no exceptions.
The U.S. Lacey Act (16 U.S.C. § 3372) requires an import declaration (APHIS PPQ Form 505) for any shipment containing plant-derived materials — including paper, cardboard, and wood. Board games are fully covered. This must be filed before or at time of US customs clearance. Coordinate with freight forwarder.
| Hub | Market | Location | Key document requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meeples Distribution | 🇪🇺 EU | Netherlands | EUR commercial invoice + packing list + CE certs (if toy-rated). EORI required. |
| Bridge Distribution | 🇺🇸 USA | United States | Commercial invoice + packing list + LACEY Act (PPQ 505) + ISF 10+2 + CPSC certs (if 8–12y product) |
| ZATU | 🇬🇧 UK | United Kingdom | Commercial invoice + packing list + UKCA certs (if toy-rated) + commodity code (UK Trade Tariff) |
| Armarlo (Gameology) | 🇦🇺 AUS | Australia | Commercial invoice + packing list + phytosanitary cert (if wood components) + AS/NZS certs (if toy-rated) |
Packing Requirements
Carton marking — mandatory on every master carton
- SKU + product name (e.g. "LP-BASE-EN — Lying Pirates Base Game EN")
- Quantity per carton (e.g. "6 pcs")
- Gross weight (kg) / Net weight (kg)
- Dimensions: L × W × H (cm)
- Country of origin: Made in China
- PO number / batch code
- Carton number out of total (e.g. "1/24")
- Each master carton contains ONE SKU only
- State this in every PO and every packing instruction
- Include in manufacturer onboarding checklist
- Confirm in pre-production meeting and before packing begins
- If factory questions it: refuse exception, escalate
- All 6 sides of each inner box type
- All 6 sides of master carton
- Carton markings close-up (legible)
- Stacking arrangement on pallet
- At least 3 open cartons showing contents + count
- Sealed pallet ready for pickup
- FCT (Full Carton Test) / drop test report
- Stacking test (confirm cartons survive 5+ high in container)
- Moisture-proof inner lining if ocean freight to AUS/UK
Pre-shipment inspection checklist — Tim's routine
| # | Check | How | Status field |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carton marks match PO exactly | Compare carton photos to PO line items | |
| 2 | No mixed SKUs in any carton | Open 3–5 random cartons, count contents | |
| 3 | All 6-side carton photos received | Check WhatsApp/email from factory | |
| 4 | Packing list matches carton count | Count cartons on pallet photos | |
| 5 | Country of origin on every carton | Visible in close-up photo | |
| 6 | Test/compliance certificates ready | Request soft copies from factory/lab | |
| 7 | Commercial invoice drafted | Verify HS code, values, description | |
| 8 | All hub-specific docs prepared | See "Documents by Hub" section |
Documents by Hub
🇪🇺 Meeples Distribution — Netherlands (EU entry point)
🇺🇸 Bridge Distribution — USA
- Species: typically "Eucalyptus, Pinus, mixed hardwood pulp" (ask factory for paper supplier species)
- Country of harvest: China (or as declared by paper supplier)
- Quantity: weight of paper/cardboard components in kg
- Value: proportional dollar value of plant material
- Form: APHIS PPQ 505 (see Templates section)
🇬🇧 ZATU — United Kingdom
🇦🇺 Armarlo / Gameology — Australia
Templates & Checklists
📋 Kravdokument till tillverkare (Manufacturer Requirements)
Skicka detta dokument till tillverkaren före produktionsstart och igen inför varje packningsomgång. Tillverkaren ska bekräfta skriftligt att de accepterar alla krav.
Issued by: Tim Didehvar / Nordic Pirates AB | Version: 2026-06
1. ONE SKU PER MASTER CARTON — NO EXCEPTIONS
Each master carton must contain ONE product SKU only. Do NOT mix different products, variants, or editions in the same carton. If you are unsure, stop and ask. This rule applies to every shipment without exception.
2. MASTER CARTON MARKINGS (required on every carton)
Each master carton must be clearly marked with:
• Product name & SKU (e.g. LP-BASE-EN — Lying Pirates Base Game EN)
• Quantity per carton (e.g. 6 pcs)
• Gross weight (kg) & Net weight (kg)
• Dimensions: L × W × H (cm)
• Country of Origin: Made in China
• Purchase Order Number: [PO NUMBER]
• Carton number out of total (e.g. 1/24)
3. PHOTOS REQUIRED — send before sealing cartons
Please send all photos to: tim@nordicpirate.com before loading.
Required photos:
• All 6 sides of each inner product box type
• All 6 sides of master carton (with markings visible)
• Close-up of carton markings (must be clearly legible)
• Minimum 3 open cartons showing contents & count
• Palletized load ready for pickup (all sides)
4. PACKING LIST
Provide a packing list with one line per carton number, including: carton#, SKU, qty, gross weight, net weight, dimensions. Total summary at bottom. Format: Excel or PDF.
5. COMPLIANCE DOCUMENTS
Provide the following documents per shipment (as applicable):
• Commercial Invoice (completed per NP template)
• Certificate of Quality / Final Inspection Report
• Test reports (EN 71 / UKCA / CPSC / AS-NZS) if applicable
• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) if applicable
• FSC chain-of-custody certificate (if FSC-certified production run)
6. QUALITY CONTROL
• Perform FCT (full carton test / drop test) and share report
• Confirm moisture-proof inner packaging for ocean freight
• Confirm stacking test completed (minimum 5 cartons high)
7. PAPER & MATERIAL DECLARATIONS (for US shipments)
For any shipment to the United States, we require:
• Species of wood pulp/paper used (e.g. "Eucalyptus globulus, Pinus sp.")
• Country of harvest for paper/board raw material
• This information is required for the US Lacey Act declaration (APHIS PPQ 505)
By proceeding with the production order, the manufacturer confirms acceptance of these requirements.
Nordic Pirates AB · Org. 559298-2143 · tim@nordicpirate.com
🌍 Per-destination Document Checklist (Tim → factory / freight forwarder)
Use this checklist for each shipment. Check off documents as they are received and confirmed. Save status below.
| Document | Required? | Status (editable) |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial Invoice (EUR, with HS code 9504.90) | Mandatory | |
| Packing List (per carton, with weights & dims) | Mandatory | |
| Bill of Lading / Air Waybill | Mandatory | |
| EORI number confirmed (NP SE number) | Mandatory | |
| Certificate of Origin | If requested | |
| CE test reports (EN 71) | If toy-rated <14 | |
| 1 SKU per carton confirmed in writing | Mandatory | |
| 6-side carton photos received | Mandatory |
| Document | Required? | Status (editable) |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial Invoice (USD, HTS code 9504.90.9080) | Mandatory | |
| Packing List | Mandatory | |
| LACEY Act Declaration (APHIS PPQ 505) — paper/wood | Mandatory | |
| ISF 10+2 filed by customs broker (24h before loading) | Mandatory — ocean | |
| CPSC test reports + CPC | If children <12 | |
| Importer of Record confirmed | Mandatory | |
| Tracking label on product (lot/date/origin) | If children <12 | |
| Paper species declaration for LACEY (from factory) | Mandatory | |
| 1 SKU per carton confirmed in writing | Mandatory | |
| 6-side carton photos received | Mandatory |
| Document | Required? | Status (editable) |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial Invoice (GBP/USD, UK commodity code 9504909000) | Mandatory | |
| Packing List | Mandatory | |
| UK EORI number confirmed | Mandatory | |
| UKCA test reports | If toy-rated <14 | |
| UK Responsible Person address on box (Naylor Games) | If UKCA applies | |
| 1 SKU per carton confirmed in writing | Mandatory | |
| 6-side carton photos received | Mandatory |
| Document | Required? | Status (editable) |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial Invoice (AUD/USD, HS code 9504.90) | Mandatory | |
| Packing List | Mandatory | |
| Phytosanitary Certificate (if wood components) | If real wood present | |
| AS/NZS ISO 8124 test reports | If toy-rated <14 | |
| Importer ABN confirmed (Armarlo) | Mandatory | |
| 1 SKU per carton confirmed in writing | Mandatory | |
| 6-side carton photos received | Mandatory |
📧 Email template — Packing instructions to factory
Send before each production packing run. Fill in the bracketed fields.
📄 Commercial Invoice — required fields reference
| Field | Example / Rule | Needed for |
|---|---|---|
| Seller name + full address | Factory legal name + address | All hubs |
| Buyer name + full address | Nordic Pirates AB + hub address | All hubs |
| Invoice date + unique number | ISO format (2026-09-01) | All hubs |
| PO reference | NP purchase order number | All hubs |
| HS/HTS/Commodity code | EU: 9504.90 | USA: 9504.90.9080 | UK: 9504909000 | AUS: 9504.90 | All hubs |
| Product description | "Board game, not for children under 14 years" (14+) or "Toy, board game, for ages 8+" (TAP10) | All hubs |
| Quantity (units) | Per SKU line item | All hubs |
| Unit price | Actual value — do not undervalue | All hubs |
| Total value | Sum of all lines | All hubs |
| Country of origin | China | All hubs |
| Incoterms | FOB [port] or EXW [city] | All hubs |
| Currency | USD (US), GBP (UK), EUR (NL/EU) | Per hub |
🇺🇸 LACEY Act - the data sheet we hand the broker
For every US shipment containing paper, cardboard, or wood. Collect from the factory, send to the customs broker 72h before vessel loading.
The declaration is now filed electronically by the broker in ACE. Our filled PDF is the data sheet we hand the broker, not the filing itself. There are no blanket declarations - one per entry. Full rules, including the exact reasons our August 2026 declarations were rejected, are on the USA page.
Standing SOP: one bill-of-materials sheet per SKU, handed to the broker so they can key it entry after entry.
| Component | Material | Species (GRIN spelling) | Harvest country | Weight per unit | % recycled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Box, board, punchouts, rulebook | Paperboard | SPECIAL/RECYCLED - none needed | — | kg per unit from the packing list | 80% |
| Wooden components | Solid birch | Betula pendula (and Betula platyphylla if the factory cannot certify one) | China (CN) | kg per unit | 0% |
| Plywood components | Veneer, multiple plies | Every layer's species - Chinese "birch plywood" often has poplar cores, so Betula and Populus lines | China (CN) | kg per unit | 0% |
| Bamboo mugs | Bamboo | Phyllostachys edulis - or no declaration at all once we hold the cultivation statement | China (CN) | kg per unit | 0% |
| Plastic components | PP / PE / PS / ABS | Not a plant - no declaration | — | — | — |
Weights are for this shipment only: kilograms per unit multiplied by units shipped, derived from the packing list. A whole-container weight on a part shipment is one of the rejections we already collected.
📧 Email template - PPWR reply to factory
Send when the factory asks what it needs to do about PPWR, or starts producing documents nobody asked for. It stops the over-asking and names the short list. Fill in the sender name.