2026 CZWX Licensed Merchandise Sourcing & Compliance Checklist (US/EU/UK)

How to use this file

Complete one copy for each product family and keep a SKU-level index for every variation. Mark an item complete only when the evidence matches the product, responsible parties, destination market and listing version.

Important: this document is a review aid, not legal advice, a product approval, an authorization to use intellectual property, or a guarantee of marketplace acceptance. Rules and platform workflows change. Confirm the current requirements for the exact product and transaction with qualified advisers, regulators, laboratories, rights holders and the relevant platform.

CompleteEvidence received, checked and indexed.

HoldA mismatch or missing decision blocks progress.

Not applicableReason recorded and approved by the responsible reviewer.

Project / buyer

Product family

SKU / model range

Destination and channel

Review owner / date

Six gates from reference to shipment

Gate 1 · Identity

Define the exact product, intended user, seller role, destination and channel.

Gate 2 · Rights

Trace brand, artwork, manufacture and resale authority through named parties.

Gate 3 · Supplier

Confirm the contracting entity, facility, commercial record and production scope.

Gate 4 · Product

Freeze specifications, samples, hazards, tests, labels and declarations.

Gate 5 · Listing

Match images, claims, warnings, variants and documents to one version.

Gate 6 · Release

Close inspection, document, packing and shipment holds before payment or dispatch.

1. Product identity and classification

Record the product name, model, SKU, variation, barcode and clear photographs.
Describe intended use, intended user and reasonably foreseeable use.
Record intended age and the evidence supporting the age grade.
Classify the item for each destination: toy, other children’s product, general-use product, apparel, electrical item, food-contact item or another regulated category.
List every included accessory, battery, magnet, cosmetic, liquid, component and piece of packaging.
Record manufacturer, actual production facility, exporter, importer, distributor and seller roles.
Document whether the product is existing stock, a repeat order, a private-label item or a new custom design.
Create a variation map showing which evidence is intended to cover which colours, sizes, materials and bundles.

2. Intellectual property, authenticity and commercial chain

Rights-chain review
Question	Evidence to request	Hold trigger
Who owns or controls the IP?	Trademark and copyright owner details, licensor identity, brand contact or other verified authority	Only a logo, catalogue image or verbal statement is available
Who may manufacture?	Licence, manufacturing authorization, approved factory status or project approval route	The supplier has made other branded goods but cannot connect this project to the rights holder
Who may supply or resell?	Licensee or distributor appointment, purchase invoices, letters of authorization where relevant	The commercial chain skips an unexplained party or cannot be contacted
What scope applies?	Product category, artwork, territory, channel, term, quantity or royalty conditions and sell-off rules	The proposed market, platform, product or date falls outside the document
Does the stock match?	SKU-level invoices, packaging and labels, dated stock evidence, lot and warehouse records	Generic descriptions or altered evidence cannot identify the goods

Keep invoices, rights documents and product-safety evidence as separate files with cross-references.
Confirm names, addresses, document dates, signatures and contact channels without editing originals.
Record confidentiality and redaction rules before sharing rights documents.
Check marketplace-specific brand authorization or authenticity requests in the live account workflow.
Do not treat a factory audit, test report or marketplace listing as proof of IP rights.

3. Supplier, facility and order controls

Verify the contracting company, bank beneficiary, tax or registration details and business contact.
Identify the actual production address and every subcontracted process that may affect the product.
Match facility experience, equipment and quality controls to the proposed product and processes.
Request a quotation that separates product, sample, tooling, packaging, testing, inspection and freight assumptions.
Map minimums by SKU, colour, artwork, material, trim, packaging, carton and total project.
Freeze Incoterm, named place, currency, validity, payment stages, lead-time assumptions and remedies.
Approve a versioned specification and physical reference sample before production release.
Define change control for materials, components, factory, artwork, packaging and production method.

4. Destination-market file

Market checkpoints for toys and children’s products
Market	Core file to map	Questions before release
United States	Product classification; applicable CPSC rules; CPSC-accepted laboratory reports where required; CPC issued by the responsible domestic manufacturer or importer; tracking labels; warnings; current certificate eFiling workflow	Does the report match the exact model and manufacture date? Are all applicable rules listed? Is the certifier the correct party? Do product and packaging carry the required traceability?
European Union	Safety assessment; applicable harmonised standards and other legislation; conformity assessment; technical documentation; EU Declaration of Conformity; CE marking; manufacturer/importer details; traceability; warnings and instructions in required languages	Which EN 71 parts and other rules apply? Are current Official Journal references used? Who is the EU importer or responsible economic operator? Does the online offer display required information?
Great Britain	Toys (Safety) Regulations route; safety and technical file; declaration; CE or UKCA route as currently permitted; manufacturer/importer details; traceability; warnings and instructions	Is the destination GB rather than NI? Is the conformity body route correct? Are marking, declaration and operator details consistent with the chosen route?
Northern Ireland	Separate NI assessment using current official guidance, including CE and any UKNI implications, EU-facing product obligations and responsible operators	Has NI been separated from GB in the compliance and logistics plan?

Do not use “EN 71 certified” or “CPSC approved” as shorthand. EN 71 is a family of standards within a conformity process, and the CPSC does not approve individual products. Use precise, supportable wording tied to the product and applicable requirements.

5. Product-safety and evidence match

Document hazards relevant to the actual product: mechanical, small parts, choking, sharp points, chemical, flammability, electrical, thermal, acoustic, battery, magnet, projectile, hygiene and foreseeable misuse.
Confirm the test sample’s model, materials, coatings, colours, components, factory, batch and age grade.
Confirm the laboratory identity, acceptance or accreditation scope and report integrity.
List each applicable requirement rather than relying on a generic “pass” statement.
Record the technical rationale for grouping variations or using component evidence.
Reassess after a material, colourant, component, supplier, factory, artwork, warning or age-grade change.
Check product and packaging labels, tracking marks, operator details, warnings, instructions and language.
Check recall databases and supplier corrective-action history where relevant.
Keep samples, reports, declarations and certificates under version control.

6. Amazon and TikTok Shop submission pack

Open the live category qualification or compliance request and save the exact request text and deadline.
Freeze the product-detail-page version: title, brand, model, images, variations, age, warnings, claims and included parts.
Match every document to the seller account, supplier, product and listing.
Provide original, legible, current documents without alteration or assembled scope.
Ensure invoices show traceable supplier details, date, product identifiers and quantities as requested.
Ensure CPC, reports, labels and product photos match the exact item where requested.
Remove unsupported approval, safety, performance or authenticity claims from copy and video.
Record submission date, uploader, files, case ID, platform response and any corrective action.
Keep legal compliance current even if the platform accepts the submission.

7. Production and shipment release

Approved specification, artwork, packaging and reference sample are version-aligned.
Production facility and critical suppliers match the approved plan.
In-line and final inspection criteria, sampling method and defect limits are agreed.
Required tests and document reviews are complete for the shipment and batch.
Authorization remains valid for category, territory, channel and shipment timing.
Labels, warnings, importer or responsible-party details and destination languages are correct.
Packing list, commercial invoice, certificates, declarations and logistics data agree.
Open deviations have named owners, written dispositions and approval by the responsible party.
Payment or shipment release is blocked until all mandatory holds are closed.

Commercial and rights approval / date

Product compliance approval / date

Quality and inspection approval / date

Shipment release approval / date

Evidence index

Use one row per file or decision
ID	Document / decision	Product scope	Issuer / owner	Date / validity	Status / location

Official sources to check at the time of use

Source links are included for verification. Platform pages may require sign-in or may be reorganized. Save the version relied on in the project record.

Return to CZWX or send an enquiry

This checklist helps structure a review but does not replace product-specific legal, testing, licensing or import advice.

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