The tariff office announced on the 28th that it has blocked the importation of over 120,000 illegal and substandard products, including water play items and fans, that did not comply with safety standards.
Last month, the tariff office conducted focused safety inspections on items expected to see increased demand during the summer season. The inspection targets included 27 items, such as water play products and fans.
The tariff office confirmed detailed safety standards under the Electrical Appliances Safety Act and the Radio Waves Act from the customs stage through collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Radio Research Agency.
As a result, 42,000 defective portable fans and 18,000 swimsuits were detected. By type of detection, cases of importing products that either did not receive certification or were different from certified models accounted for more than half (69,000 items) of the total.
In addition, items detected included children's water play products that did not receive safety certification and dehumidifiers that were different in internal design from when they were certified, thus not providing collateral for safety.
Items detected at the customs stage will initially have their customs clearance withheld. If the importer resolves the legal issues, such as obtaining safety certification, customs clearance is possible; otherwise, the products will be discarded or returned to the foreign country.
The tariff office noted, "Using products whose safety has not been confirmed can lead to safety accidents," and said, "Consumers should first check whether the KC certification mark is attached when purchasing products."