The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) is partnering with the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI) to support the promotion of the WFSGI Compliance Labeling Requirements (CLR) Database, which will be operational in late July 2018.

The WFSGI CLR Database has been pre-financed by WFSGI members and created in cooperation with Compliance & Risks, who are also responsible for managing the system and providing subject matter expertise. This online database provides subscribers with global information on product labeling requirements for the sports and fitness industry, as well as many other sectors. The labeling requirements will be provided for six different product categories, including apparel and textile, footwear, consumer electronics (wearables), personal protective equipment, sporting equipment and bicycles.

“This is a terrific new service to our industry, and we’re very excited to partner with WFSGI and Compliance & Risks,” said Tom Cove, SFIA CEO and president. “This global database will create efficiencies and reduce headaches for any company that markets and distributes product around the world. It’s an easy-access, comprehensive, one-stop shop for companies and their teams to keep up with the most recent, or the most obscure, labeling requirements and everything in between.”

Through this unique resource, companies will have access to labeling requirements, for both products and packaging, of 49 different countries around the world. The user-friendly platform allows subscribers to instantly create and download customized reports based on their specific needs. In addition, subscribers will be notified via email alerts whenever a new regulation is pending, passed or upcoming, to ensure companies are always aware of, and prepared for, any regulation change that would require action on their behalf.

Commenting on the announcement, Robbert de Kock, WFSGI president and CEO said, “We are delighted to officially launch the WFSGI CLR database in July and are particularly pleased to count SFIA as our key Ambassador in America for the promotion of this unique and revolutionary initiative, which constitutes a big step forward in improving industries’ everyday business life.”

The idea and funding for this project is the result of a collaborative effort among sports and fitness companies, working to mitigate the many issues caused by different product labeling requirements around the world. Interest has quickly caught on throughout the industry. Asics, Columbia Sportswear, New Balance Athletics, Nike, Pentland Brands, Under Armour, VF Corporation and others have already committed to the database, confirming the value of this resource to any company selling globally. To provide more information about the CLR Database and its capabilities, SFIA is providing a demonstration video, created by WFSGI, which can be found on the homepage of sfia.org. If you have any further questions, please reach out to Alli Schulman at aschulman@sfia.org.