ESCP Meets with Dongguan Toy & Juvenile Products Association to Strengthen Industry Collaboration

On the morning of 2nd September, Carmel Giblin, President and CEO of the Ethical Supply Chain Program (ESCP), together with April Yu, Director of Compliance & Capability Building, and Leo Zhu, Specialist of Worker Well-Being, visited the Dongguan Toy & Juvenile Products Association (DTJPA) for a roundtable discussion. They were warmly received by DTJPA’s Executive President, Mr. Chen Xiangyou, and Secretary General, Ms. Tan Zhiyan.

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The meeting focused on the ESCP certification system, industry compliance trends, the current state of Dongguan’s toy and juvenile products sector, and export opportunities. Discussions also touched on future training approaches and potential adjustments to better meet industry needs.

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During the meeting, Carmel shared recent updates on ESCP’s organizational structure, team responsibilities, and business development in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. She highlighted the growing trend of market diversification and emphasized ESCP’s commitment to continuously enhancing the Connect platform. By improving its functionality, ESCP aims to provide factories and buyers with more efficient connections, while strengthening factory credibility in both social responsibility and product quality through certification.

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Mr. Chen reviewed the longstanding cooperation between DTJPA and ESCP and provided insights into the latest developments of the Dongguan toy and juvenile products industry. He noted that in response to the challenges brought by China–U.S. trade tensions, many Dongguan enterprises are actively expanding into overseas markets through the “Belt and Road” initiative. Some companies have already established factories in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Cambodia to diversify risks, while also continuing to strengthen quality control and brand building to boost competitiveness. However, he also pointed out the operational, managerial, and regulatory challenges enterprises face in overseas markets.

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Both parties engaged in an in-depth exchange on social responsibility, enterprise needs, factory certification, and training. Mr. Chen emphasized that training remains a crucial tool to help companies improve compliance and operational capabilities. Carmel agreed, suggesting that future training could adopt a “half-day training + half-day exchange” model, while also integrating buyer resources to further enhance the practical value of the sessions.

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The dialogue further deepened the partnership between ESCP and DTJPA, laying a solid foundation for jointly optimizing compliance and certification services for enterprises. Looking ahead, ESCP will continue to collaborate with industry partners to support Dongguan companies in strengthening compliance, improving operational efficiency, expanding into diversified markets, and leveraging training and platform resources to achieve sustainable growth.