World Directory of the Handmade Trade

15 Craft Families · 57 Producing Countries · 24 Craft Cities · Free Directory 2026

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Supply chain stage

Quality, Compliance & Testing

Handmade does not exempt a product from regulation. Food-contact limits, lead and cadmium, nickel release, azo dyes, formaldehyde, flammability, toy safety and timber legality all apply according to what the item is and where it is sold. The practical approach is to identify the applicable regime before sampling, not after, and to test the finished article rather than the input. Inspection for craft goods also needs a defect standard written for handwork, since a factory AQL applied literally will fail almost any hand-made lot.

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