Montreal, Canada (release-news) August 7, 2020 - Future Electronics, a global leading distributor of electronic components, recently celebrated the 15th anniversary of the opening of the company's branch in Prague, Czech Republic.

Future Electronics was founded in Montreal in 1968 by company President Robert Miller. It expanded into the United States in 1972, opening its first American office in Boston.

The Prague branch first opened in 2005, to serve customers in both Czech Republic and Slovakia. The office is located in a strategic area of Prague from which team members can easily reach the main roads to visit customers, while still remaining close to the city center.

"I've been working for Future Electronics in Czech Republic and Slovakia from the very beginning, and it's great to see how the company as well as the team has evolved in both countries, building up relationships with our customers and supplier partners, and becoming demand creation oriented," said Country Manager Pavel Rasejev. "We remain focused on delighting our customers and suppliers, and being the partner who helps them meet their challenges."

Robert Miller, President of Future Electronics, congratulated the Prague team on their 15-year milestone, and thanked everyone for their contributions to the success of the branch.

For more information about Future Electronics and its 170 office locations in 44 countries around the world, visit www.FutureElectronics.com

About Future Electronics

Future Electronics is a global leader in electronics distribution, recognized for providing customers with global supply chain solutions, custom-tailored engineering services and a comprehensive suite of passives and semiconductor products. Founded by Robert Miller in 1968, Future Electronics has over 5,500 employees and operates in 170 offices in 44 countries around the world. Future Electronics is globally integrated, with a unified IT infrastructure that delivers real-time inventory availability and access to customers. With the highest level of service, the most advanced engineering capabilities, and the largest available-to-sell inventory in the world, Future's mission is always to Delight the Customer®. For more information, visit www.FutureElectronics.com.

Media Contact

Claudio Caporicci
Global Director, Marketing Communications & Advertising
FUTURE ELECTRONICS
www.FutureElectronics.com

514-694-7710 (ext. 4107)
Fax: 514-693-6051
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Brazil has revised two pieces of legislation to change the country’s requirements for toys and school supplies.

The Brazilian National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (INMETRO) has published Ordinance No. 217 of June 18, 2020 (the ‘Ordinance’). It came into effect on June 24, 2020 – the date of publishing – and revises:

• Ordinance No. 481 of December 7, 2010 ‘Assessment Requirements for Compliance with School Supplies’ (Ordinance 481/2010)
• Ordinance No. 563 of December 29, 2016 ‘Technical Regulation and Conformity Assessment Requirements for Toys’ (Ordinance 563/2016)

The Ordinance moves ‘modeling clay’ from the scope of Ordinance 481/2010 and reclassifies it as a toy. It therefore now needs to be certified according to Ordinance 563/2016.

There is also a comprehensive set of changes relating to toys, under Ordinance 563/2016. These include:

• New compliance dates set for domestic manufacturers, importers, distributors and other businesses that carry out trade activities for compliance with the Ordinance on toy safety
• Setting a new compliance date of January 1, 2022 for toys containing expanded ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer to comply with the more stringent limit for formamide content (from 0.5% to 0.3%)
• A new set of complementary standards and documents, including a completely new standard for laser product safety, to be adopted for Technical Quality Regulation:
  • ABNT NBR NM 300-1:2011 ’General, mechanical and physical properties’
  • ABNT NMR NM 300-2:2004 ‘Flammability’
  • ABNT NBR NM 300-3:2011 ‘Migration of certain elements’
  • ABNT NBR NM 300-4:2004 ‘Experimental sets for chemistry and related activities’
  • ABNT NBR NM 300-5:2004 ‘Chemical toys (sets) other than chemistry sets
  • ABNT NBR NM 300-6:2004 ‘Electric toys’
  • ABNT NBR 13793:2012 ‘Feeding bottles and nipples’
  • ABNT NBR 11786:1998 ‘Specifications’ – this cancelled standard is used for 2 tests in this RTQ on a normative basis
  • ABNT NBR 16040:2018 ‘Phthalates – determination of phthalic plasticizers by gas chromatography’
  • ABNT ISO/TR 8124-8:2017 ‘Age determination guidelines’
  • IEC 60825-1:2014 ‘Safety of laser products’
  • Inmetro Ordinance No. 250, 2016
• New definitions – includes a new definition for ‘toy’ – any product designed or clearly intended for use in play by children under fourteen years of age
• Extending the validity of the Certificate of Conformity (CoC) from ‘3 years’ to ‘5 years’
• Extending the maintenance evaluation period (audit and tests) from ‘6 months’ to ’12 months’ after the CoC has been issued
• A completely new requirement for all packaging to contain the supplier’s identification (ID), containing the company name or when available, the trade name and/or registered trademark and address. This ID and address can be abbreviated but must be clearly identified
• New warnings and statements, including those for marbles for the 0-3 age group
• New warning on packaging for aquatic toys
• New warnings for teethers and a completely new set of warnings for toy swings

The Ordinance has also modified the list of products that are not considered to be toys.

The latest amendment stipulates that toys must comply with the Ordinance on ‘Technical Regulation and Conformity Assessment Requirements for Toys’ by the following dates:

• January 1, 2022 – domestic manufacturers and importers
• January 1, 2023 – manufacturers and importers selling toys
• July 1, 2025 – businesses marketing toys

SGS Toy & Juvenile Product Services

SGS offers a wide range of services to ensure that products comply with relevant standards for juvenile products and childcare articles. They provide consulting, training, product development, testing, audit and inspection services to ensure that products comply with strict regulations worldwide, demonstrating the safety and quality of juvenile products being brought to the market. Learn more about SGS’s Toy & Juvenile Product Services.

SGS SafeGuardS keep you up to date with the latest news and developments in the consumer goods industry. Read the full Brazil Revises Regulations on Toys and School Supplies SafeGuardS. 

Subscribe here to receive SGS SafeGuardS direct to your inbox.

For further information contact:

Hingwo Tsang

Global Information and Innovation Manager

Tel:(+852) 2774 7420

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website: www.sgs.com/hardlines

LinkedIn: sgs-consumer-goods-&-retail

About SGS

SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 89,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 2,600 offices and laboratories around the world.

Alexandria, VA (release-news ) August 6, 2020 - The Northern Virginia HR Consultants at Smart HR has recently released a new educational article regarding HR consulting and cultural diversity counseling. The article reviews the top benefits that cultural diversity counseling can provide business owners and HR professionals. The blog can be found on the company's website. The HR solutions company draws from their years of experience helping to educate HR teams and business owners on these topics while also helping to improve profits, productivity, and employee satisfaction in the process.

Smart HR has designed this new blog to be used by business owners and HR teams in order to help them become properly educated on cultural diversity in the workplace and how it can help reshape your company culture. The firm has nearly 20 years of experience providing organizations with high-end HR management and expertise that, on average, costs 50% less than maintaining an in-house HR department. Their dedicated team of HR professionals takes pride in offering innovative, world-class human resource services to their clients.

The team at SmartHR hopes that this new article will help business owners and HR teams understand the effects that proper workplace diversity measures can have on their business. While this article focuses on cultural diversity, the SmartHR website also provides information on their team, experience, and other services that they offer such as HR audits, outsourcing, and management training programs. Their professionally trained and experienced team believes in helping to create cohesive and effective workplace environments for their clients. According to one client from the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, "Commitment and professionalism set SmartHR apart from others in the industry."

Speak to the experienced outsourced HR solutions firm today and help make your workplace run more smoothly than ever! Call Smart HR at 703-972-3177 or visit their website at https://www.smarthrinc.com. Their offices are located at 917 Prince Street Alexandria, VA 22314.

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Ecuador has announced a revised proposal that, if accepted, will update its technical regulation for food contact ceramics.

The latest proposal, designated Ecuadorian Technical Regulation RTE UNEN 010 (2R) – ‘Ceramic Tableware Intended to Come into Contact with Food’, was circulated attached to World Trade Organization (WTO) document no. 20-4675 on July 8, 2020. It has a new structure and contains several important changes, including:

• Revision to existing definitions and addition of new definitions
• Addition of a table detailing the migration requirements for lead and cadmium (see below)
• Mandating the list of information that must be included for labeling requirements.
• Requirements for conformity evaluation procedure (Procedimiento de Evaluación de la Conformidad (PEC)), including:
  • Inspection and sampling
  • Requiring four identical units/samples for testing
  • Product certificate of conformity (CoC)
  • Supplier declaration of conformity (DoC)
  • Test reports recognized by the Ecuadorian Accreditation Service (Servicio de Acreditación Ecuatoriano, SAE)

The table detailing the migration requirements (criteria for 4 units) for lead and cadmium covers:

Lead

• Flatware ≤ 0.8 mg/dm² (average)
• Small Hollowware ≤ 2 mg/l
• Large Hollowware ≤ 1 mg/l
• Storage Hollowware ≤ 0.5 mg/l
• Cups and Mugs ≤ 0.5 mg/l
• Cooking Ware≤ 0.5 mg/l

Cadmium

• Flatware ≤ 0.07 mg/dm² (average)
• Small Hollowware ≤ 0.5 mg/l
• Large Hollowware ≤ 0.25 mg/l
• Storage Hollowware ≤ 0.25 mg/l
• Cups and Mugs ≤ 0.25 mg/l
• Cooking Ware ≤ 0.25 mg/l

The table lists ISO 6486-2 as the standard and ISO 6486-1 or NTE INEN ISO 6486-1 as the test standard.

Ecuador is currently holding a consultation on the proposal. Once approved, Ecuadorian Technical Regulation RTE UNEN 010 (2R) will enter into force six months after it is published in the Official Register, according to the WTO document in Q1 of 2021. It will replace RTE INEN 010:2013 (IR) and Amendments 1, 2 and 3:2014 on food contact ceramics.

SGS Food Contact Material Services

SGS’s technical experts have extensive experience of testing materials and articles in contact with food. They can ensure that your products meet the appropriate regulations for food contact materials and pave the way for compliance. SGS offers the full range of testing, including migration tests, along with expert advice on emerging regulations, compliance issues and documentation review. Learn more about SGS’s Food Contact Material Services. 

SGS SafeGuardS keep you up to date with the latest news and developments in the consumer goods industry. Read the Ecuador Consults Over Revised Draft Technical Regulation on Food Contact Ceramics SafeGuardS.

Subscribe here to receive SGS SafeGuardS direct to your inbox.

For further information contact:

Hingwo Tsang

Global Information and Innovation Manager

Tel:(+852) 2774 7420

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website: www.sgs.com/hardlines

LinkedIn: sgs-consumer-goods-&-retail

About SGS

SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 89,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 2,600 offices and laboratories around the world.