2026 Global Regulation Outlook for Power Tools and Garden Machinery

This blog was originally posted on 22nd January, 2026. Further regulatory developments may have occurred after publication. To keep up-to-date with the latest compliance news, sign up to our newsletter.

AUTHORED BY JOYCE COSTELLO, SENIOR REGULATORY COMPLIANCE SPECIALIST, COMPLIANCE & RISKS

The regulatory landscape for the power tool and garden machinery sectors is undergoing significant change in 2026. From the proposed expansion of the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to new safety mandates in emerging markets, manufacturers and importers face a complex set of obligations.

This update provides a concise summary of recent legislative proposals and critical upcoming deadlines across key jurisdictions – including Japan’s new direct-to-consumer rules and China’s certification shifts – alongside a chronological guide to upcoming deadlines in Argentina, Chile, and beyond.

Want a 2026 Survival Guide to Sustainability & Product Compliance? Check out our latest guide!

Key Global Developments

EU

On 17 December 2025, the EU Commission issued a proposal to amend Regulation (EU) 2023/956 to expand the operation of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) from its current coverage of basic raw materials to more select carbon-intensive “downstream” products, in an effort to curb carbon leakage.

Should the proposal pass, importers of these products into the EU would face new obligations such as, among others, ensuring there is an authorised CBAM declarant responsible for the products; calculating the embedded greenhouse gas emissions in the products brought into the EU (including not only primary materials but also emissions from input materials (precursors) used in making downstream goods); producing an annual CBAM declaration stating total embedded emissions of imported in‑scope goods, and surrendering a corresponding number of CBAM certificates.

Emissions figures would have to be based on actual emissions data verified by an accredited verifier, or, where that isn’t feasible, Commission-published default values.

Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2023/956 would be supplemented with a list of steel‑ and aluminium‑intensive downstream goods, the import of which would become subject to these CBAM obligations.

Japan

From 25 December 2025, overseas businesses that sell products directly to domestic consumers online may only sell electrical appliances, including power tools and garden machinery, by notifying the Ministry as a specified importer, and by fulfilling the obligations of the DENAN Act.

METI has established this new rule in response to evidence that overseas businesses have successfully sold products directly to domestic consumers using online malls and other digital trading platforms, without having a domestic manufacturer or importer who could be held legally responsible for the safety of those products.

The rule will operate to ensure that, when an overseas business sells products directly to domestic consumers without going through a domestic importer, for example by using a digital trading platforms, the overseas business will be classified as a subject to be notified under the revised Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Act, and will be required to appoint a responsible person in Japan, known as the domestic administrator, to ensure the enforcement of the regulations.

In addition, if it is determined that an electrical appliance offered for sale online may pose a risk to domestic consumers and it is not expected that the seller of the product will take necessary measures such as a recall, the trading platform provider may be requested to remove the product from sale.

A system for disclosing notified matters is now operational. By making public the names of notified businesses, the names of domestic administrators and other notified information, the government is creating an environment in which trading platform providers are adequately informed, and will voluntarily stop unnotified overseas businesses from using their platforms.

France

A draft Order proposed on 31 December 2025 would demand more granular EPR reporting, particularly regarding battery reuse and battery life cycles, and the incorporation of recycled plastics by manufacturers of power tools and garden machinery selling in France.

Producers would need to track and report on batteries specifically destined for “second life”. The law defines four key operations for extending battery life: preparation for reuse, preparation for repurposing, repurposing, remanufacturing.

This amendment would also introduce specific data requirements for recycled plastic incorporation. If you use recycled plastics in your tool housings or handles to get a discount on your EPR fees (eco-modulation), you would be required to report this data, broken down by resin type and product category.

China

On 7 January 2026 China’s SAMR announced in Announcement No. 57, 2025 that some products listed in the Compulsory Product Certification (CCC) catalogue would be moving to a third-party certification evaluation method. From 1 January 2027 electric drills, electric grinders, electric hammers, DC arc welding machines, TIG arc welding machines, MIG/MAG arc welding machines and plasma arc cutting machines must undergo mandatory third-party certification leading to a CCC certificate. Existing valid self-declarations can support certificate conversion by year-end 2026, but the self-declaration system will close for these products.

On the same day, draft implementation rules CNCA-C05-01: 2025 required by Announcement No. 57 were released. These rules specifically target grinders, polishers, disc sanders, electric drills, impact drills and hammer tools, and would re-establish the “Type Testing + Initial Factory Inspection + Post-Certification Supervision” model.

These proposed rules would not apply to battery-powered electric tools covered by GB/T 3883.1, Appendix K, given that in 2025 China launched a specific CCC category for lithium-ion batteries and battery packs (CNCA-C09-02:2025).

Also of note is the removal of certain tools and a narrower scope than CNCA-C05-01:2014. This is explained by their transition to a “Self-Declaration” (Mode B) requirement under the authority of CNCA Announcement No. 44 of 2019.

CNCA-C05-01: 2025 would require all tools to use the unified CCC logo without additional characters (i.e. S&E designations), to simplify the marking process and align it with international practices (similar to the CE or UL marks), per changes made by Announcement No. 10, 2018, Reforming the Management of Compulsory Product Certification Marks.

Canada

On 2 December 2025 Health Canada announced that it is seeking comments on a proposed regulatory initiative that would introduce mandatory requirements for lithium-ion batteries and consumer products containing lithium-ion batteries under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA).

It aims to introduce mandatory safety requirements for lithium‑ion batteries and consumer products containing lithium‑ion batteries that are manufactured, imported, advertised or sold in Canada under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act. The background section explicitly lists “tools” among the examples of consumer products that use lithium‑ion batteries, excluding mains power‑connected products that are subject to the Canadian Electrical Code (CSA C22.1).

Cordless lithium‑ion power tools and their battery packs are very likely to be covered by the future requirements, whereas corded tools within the Canadian Electrical Code framework would not be the target of this particular initiative.

The current consultation is to create new, lithium‑ion‑focused mandatory safety requirements for both batteries and consumer products containing them, potentially via mandatory third‑party certification and incorporation of standards like UL/CSA 62133‑2, UL 1642, UL 2054.

2026 Upcoming Deadlines

Uzbekistan

16 February 2026 Uzbekistan will enforce hazardous substance restrictions and thresholds aligned with EU RoHS standards. Unless exempt, products must demonstrate compliance prior to market entry. Manufacturers or importers may choose between a Declaration of Conformity or Certification to secure the national conformity marking (OZS Conformity Mark), which must be affixed to all products. Impacted electrical equipment includes lawn mowers and trimmers, and welding machines.

Argentina

26 February 2026 Motor-driven electric machines and tools that operate with a nominal voltage 50 V -1,000 V AC, and 75 V – 1,500 V DC must be certified for safety to the requirements of Resolution No. 17/2025, by complying with the specified technical standards (primarily the IEC 62841, IEC 60745-1 and IEC 61029-1 series). Certificates issued within the framework of former Resolution No. 169/2018 will cease to be valid.

Belarus

1 March 2026 mandatory traceability for electric drills. Businesses (субъекты хозяйствования) involved in the circulation of electric drills must submit certain information electronically to the Goods Traceability System (PC SPT) provided by the Ministry of Taxes and Duties of Belarus. Information to be supplied is listed in Resolution No. 19, 2021 of the Ministry of Taxes and Duties, and concerns data regarding stock balances (for the initial 1 March 2026 reporting), and further data for ongoing turnover.

South Korea

22 May 2026 revised KC safety standards under the Electrical Appliances Safety Management Act for electric reciprocating saws (jigsaws and sabre saws) and electric concrete vibrators must be applied – KC 60745 -2-11:2025 (corresponds to IEC Ed 2.1 2008-07) and KC 60745 -2-12:2025 : Particular requirements for electric concrete vibrators, based on IEC Ed 2.1 2008-07.

Chile

A trio of Protocols (Protocolos de análisis y/o ensayos de seguridad) for the safety testing and certification of electric reciprocating saws, grinding machines, disc polishers, disc sanders and portable brushcutters and grass trimmers will become enforceable this year.

31 March 2026 PE Nº6/09:2024 requires reciprocating saws (jigsaws and reciprocating saws) to obtain safety certification to IEC 62841-2-11:2018-01 and IEC 62841-1:2014-03 Edición 1.0. This protocol establishes the safety certification procedure for: handheld reciprocating saws (jigsaws and reciprocating saws), designed primarily for home or similar use, with a single-phase power supply not exceeding 250 V AC and not exceeding 75 V DC (battery-operated), and a nominal power of up to 3700 W. This includes cordless products that charge via USB.
4 May 2026 mandatory certification begins under new safety analysis and testing protocol, PC No. 122:2024, for portable brushcutters and grass trimmers powered by internal combustion engines using liquid fuels. Safety requirements and testing are based on ISO 11806-1:2011. After 4 May 2026, they cannot be legally sold without the SEC Seal and a Certificate of Approval.
1 July 2026 angle grinders, disc polishers and disc sanders with a nominal capacity not exceeding 230 mm and primarily for domestic use must be evaluated for safety based on IEC 62841-2-3:2020-04 and IEC 62841-1:2014-03. Machine tools that are charged via USB do not need to show compliance. After 1 July 2026, they cannot be legally sold without the SEC Seal and a Certificate of Approval.

China

1 June 2026 Standard GB 4343.1-2024 enters into force, setting the EMC mandate for hand-held tools powered by electric motors or electromagnetic drives and lawn and garden machinery used in domestic, commercial and work environments. Compared with its 2018 predecessor, GB 4343.1-2024 is in alignment with international standard CISPR 14-1:2020 (replacing the older CISPR 14-1:2011).

United States

13 April 2026 – 13 October 2026^* submission period for a one-time report to the U.S. EPA about PFAS substances manufactured or imported in the U.S. between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2022, under Section 8(a)(7) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Importers of PFAS in articles (e.g., tools, components, or machinery parts containing PFAS) are treated as manufacturers for reporting purposes. Any entities required to report under this rule must report their data to EPA through the agency’s Central Data Exchange (CDX). Small manufacturers who are only reporting as PFAS article importers have 6 additional months to comply – 13 April 2027.

*Important to note: an EPA proposal from November 2025 seeks to incorporate a number of exemptions to the scope of reportable manufacturing activities, narrowing what counts as a reportable PFAS manufacturing or importing activity. This would include PFAS contained in imported articles, and a de minimis exemption PFAS ≤0.1%.

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