Selling into the UK: product safety, marking and import

Course outline

The first lesson is open to read. The rest are included when you enrol.

1. 1Who is responsible for a product sold in the UK14 min Preview

   General information, not legal advice. Rules change; check the sources below before you act.

   Product safety law in the UK asks one question first: who is responsible for this product? For imported merchandise the answer is often you.

   Great Britain and Northern Ireland are different

   Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland follow different product rules. Under the Windsor Framework, many EU product rules continue to apply in Northern Ireland, including the EU General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988 from 13 December 2024. If goods are going to Northern Ireland, read the EU course as well. The rest of this lesson is about Great Britain.

   The General Product Safety Regulations 2005

   In Great Britain, the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/1803) require that products placed on the market or supplied are safe. They cover products intended for, or likely to be used by, consumers, supplied in the course of a commercial activity whether for payment or not. That matters for merchandise: a branded water bottle handed out free at an event is still supplied in the course of a business.

   The regulations place duties on:

   • Producers, which include the manufacturer if it is established in the UK, its UK representative, or, where neither exists, the person who places the product from outside the UK on the GB market. For goods made in China and shipped to you, that is usually the importer.
   • Distributors, who must act with due care, not supply products they know or should know are dangerous, and keep traceability information.

   What a producer must do

   Government guidance summarises the duties:

   • Place only safe products on the market
   • Give consumers the information they need to assess and guard against risks (warnings, instructions)
   • Mark the product or packaging with the producer's name and address where reasonable, and with a batch or product reference
   • Monitor safety, including sample testing and investigating complaints
   • Notify the enforcement authorities if a product is found to be unsafe, and take action such as withdrawal or recall

   Importer details on the product

   Product-specific rules (for example toys) require the importer's name and address on the product, or where that is not possible, on the packaging or an accompanying document. Government guidance on the 2005 Regulations says importers may use alternatives such as documents accompanying the goods until 31 December 2027, and the government has said it intends to make wider flexibility permanent. Check the current position before you rely on this, and agree at step 7 (Approve) exactly where your details will appear.

   Reform: the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025

   The Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 21 July 2025. It is an enabling Act: it lets ministers make new product regulations, including duties for online marketplaces, by secondary legislation. The government published consultations in March 2026 proposing a new framework to replace the 2005 Regulations. Until new regulations are made and in force, the 2005 Regulations continue to apply. Watch for changes before you rely on this lesson.

   Where this sits in the 13 steps

   • Step 2 (Define): decide who will be the importer and producer, and whether any goods go to Northern Ireland
   • Step 3 (Check): confirm the supplier can support your technical records
   • Step 7 (Approve): approve product marking, warnings and importer details with the artwork

   Checklist

   • Importer and producer for Great Britain named
   • Northern Ireland shipments identified (EU rules)
   • Name, address and batch reference location agreed
   • Warnings and instructions drafted in English
   • Complaint and recall contact in place
2. 2The product rules that catch merchandise16 min
3. 3Getting goods through UK customs14 min
4. 4Import VAT, postponed VAT accounting and low-value parcels12 min
5. 5Packaging EPR and your records after delivery12 min
6. 6References5 min