Geneva (July 25, 2025) – SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company, has published SafeGuardS 100.25 to inform stakeholders of important updates to Minnesota’s restrictions on lead and cadmium in consumer products.
On June 14, 2025, the governor of Minnesota signed HF 4 (Chapter 4) into law, amending the state’s lead and cadmium regulations under Minnesota Statutes 325E.3892. These updates expand the list of exemptions to the original 2023 legislation (HF 2310), which restricted lead and cadmium in 15 categories of consumer goods, including toys, school supplies, cookware and jewelry.
Effective June 15, 2025, the amendments introduce several clarifications and exclusions, including:
– Exclusion of ink pens and mechanical pencils from the ‘school supplies’ category
– Limitation of the term ‘paints’ in the ‘art supplies’ category to only ‘children’s paints’
– Exemption for professional artist materials (e.g. oil paints, pastels, pigments, ceramic glazes)
– Allowance for products containing lead solely in internal solder, subject to restrictions on sale after July 1, 2028, and mandatory biennial reporting on lead removal plans
– Temporary exemption for keys with lead content before July 1, 2028, and continued use of keys with ≥1.5% lead content thereafter
– Exemption for cast iron or steel pots and pans containing ≤90 ppm lead and cadmium in enamel, provided the enamel does not come into contact with food
Minnesota’s Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) previously issued implementation guidance for affected stakeholders. The new exemptions provide greater compliance flexibility, particularly for legacy items and professional-use products.
SGS publishes SafeGuardS to help businesses stay current with key regulatory developments. SafeGuardS 100.25 offers a comprehensive overview of Minnesota’s amended lead and cadmium restrictions and outlines what companies must do to maintain compliance.
Stakeholders are encouraged to review SafeGuardS 100.25 to assess how these changes may affect their product offerings in Minnesota.
SGS Toy & Juvenile Product Services
SGS offers a wide range of services to ensure that products comply with relevant standards for childcare articles and children’s equipment. 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. After all, it’s only trusted because it’s tested. 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 Minnesota, USA, Exempts Certain Goods under its Lead and Cadmium Ban SafeGuardS.
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For further information contact:
Dr. Hingwo Tsang
Global Information and Innovation Manager
Tel: +852 2774 7420
Melanie Tamayo
Senior Technical Manager, SGS NA
Tel: +1 312 414 9394
Website: www.sgs.com/hardlines
LinkedIn: SGS Connectivity & Products
About SGS
SGS is the world’s leading Testing, Inspection and Certification company. We operate a network of over 2,500 laboratories and business facilities across 115 countries, supported by a team of 99,500 dedicated professionals. With over 145 years of service excellence, we combine the precision and accuracy that define Swiss companies to help organizations achieve the highest standards of quality, compliance and sustainability.
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