The Scenario:
You imported a product from Asia and it has now been distributed all over Australia and Europe. You recently discovered that itdoes not meet labelling laws and must be recalled – at your expense!
This story isn’t new or unique. You can probably recite it by heart: a product gets recalled. There isn’t even anything necessarily wrong or faulty with it, yet another business underestimated or ignored the need to follow all rules and regulations for labelling and packaging.
We must, then, ask ourselves: How can we ensure our new product is not recalled due to us or someone on our team overlooking a labelling requirement for another country.
At Mawson Global, we recommend following these three steps to ensure your business does not have to endure an expensive, not to mention embarrassing, product recall.
1. Find reliable, trustworthy consultants in the countries where you conduct business to draft the labels and walk you through all the necessary import requirements.
2. Hire unbiased third party inspection agents to check item labels before they ship.
3. Cross your Ts and dot your I’s by using a customs broker to determine the paperwork necessary to successfully import your product.
When it comes to successfully importing products in another country and avoiding costly recalls, there is no such thing as being over-prepared. Double-checking all label requirements is the first step to saving time and money in the long run. You do not need to be the expert on each rule and regulation your business will face, but it is important to hire someone who is an expert.
What other precautions can you share to make sure a labelling mistake does not lead to an expensive recall?
