Compliance
We tell you what is verified, and what still needs checking.
A certifications page is easy to fill with logos. The useful version separates three different things: documents we can send today, claims that depend on the material you choose, and tests that only your market's authority or your own compliance file can settle.
Evidence status
Three columns, not one badge wall.
| Item | What we provide | Who confirms it |
|---|---|---|
| Business licence | Copy of the Shenzhen business registration for the trading entity | Available now on request |
| Factory audit | Social and quality audit reports from our buyer programs, shared under NDA where the audit belongs to the client | Available case by case |
| Material declarations | Board and film supplier declarations: virgin fibre, recycled content, heavy-metal status | Supplied with the material choice |
| FSC® chain of custody | FSC material can be sourced through certified mills; the claim sits on the mill certificate, not on ours | Confirm per order before you print the logo |
| Recyclability | Material composition and a statement of what would have to change for a single-stream claim | Depends on the construction you approve |
| Food contact | Food-grade board grades and films with supplier declarations | Migration testing sits with an accredited lab |
| ISTA transit test | In-house drop and compression checks with a written result | Certified ISTA report needs external commissioning |
| EU packaging rules | Which formats and materials we can supply for your market | Legal conformity for your SKU stays with you |
If a document in this table is not in your inbox within two working days of asking, that is a failure on our side and worth chasing. The knowledge article explains what each document is for.
What we will not do
- Print a logo we cannot backNo FSC mark on a mixed-fibre box, no recycle mark on a laminated pack
- Sign a blanket compliance letterLetters state material and construction, not promises
- Quote a certificate as oursA mill or film supplier certificate stays theirs
- Claim a lab report we did not commissionIn-house checks are labelled as in-house
What to send us instead of asking for “all certificates”
- Destination marketEU, Japan and US retail each ask for different paper
- Retailer or platformTheir vendor pack defines the test list
- Product categoryFood contact, toys and cosmetics carry extra rules
- DeadlineExternal lab time is usually 2–3 weeks
Documents in practice
What a typical export file contains.
Commercial file
Invoice, packing list, HS code and country of origin, issued with the shipment.
Material file
Board grade, calliper, film type, recycled content and supplier declarations.
Test file
In-house drop or compression results, plus any external report your buyer ordered.
Quality file
Batch inspection record, AQL level used, and photos of the packed pallet.
Questions we answer daily
Compliance FAQ
Can you supply FSC-certified packaging?
We can order board from FSC-certified mills and keep the mill's chain-of-custody certificate with the order file. The certificate belongs to the mill, not to us, so the claim has to be checked per order before your artwork carries the mark. Ask before the dieline is finalised, not after printing.
Is your packaging recyclable in the EU?
Uncoated or water-based-coated board in a single material is the straightforward case. Lamination, foil and plastic windows each break a single-stream claim in different ways. We send the composition and say which element would have to change, and you decide whether the claim is worth the design change.
Do you have ISO 9001?
We run a documented quality system with incoming, first-off, in-process and final AQL checks, and we will show the job sheets. If your vendor pack requires a current ISO 9001 certificate in the supplier's own name, tell us at the qualification stage so we can state our position before you spend time on the audit.
Will you sign our supplier code of conduct?
Usually yes, after we have read it. Clauses on working hours, subcontracting and chemical restrictions we can normally meet; clauses requiring certifications we do not hold we will negotiate rather than sign and ignore.
How fast can a document be sent?
Business licence and material declarations within two working days. Audit reports depend on the client's NDA. External laboratory work is quoted and scheduled separately, typically two to three weeks.
Beyond the documents
What our paperwork does not cover.
Duties and tariffs
The HS code, the duty rate and any anti-dumping measure are set by the importing country, not by the factory. We give you the net weight, the outer carton dimensions and the country of origin; your broker sets the classification.
Extended producer responsibility
Packaging EPR registration in the EU, and the UK scheme, sit with the party that places the packed goods on the market. We supply the material weights and the component breakdown you need to report, per SKU.
Market-specific restrictions
Single-use plastic limits, deposit schemes and labelling rules differ by country and change. Tell us the destination market and we will flag the formats we know are affected, in writing, before tooling starts.
If a tender asks for a compliance file we cannot complete, we will say which line is missing before you bid, not after.
Need a specific document?
Name the market, the retailer and the item. We will tell you what we hold, what the mill holds, and what has to be tested.