# Specification and Compliance | What to Lock Before Ordering

> What has to be fixed in a tackle specification across any Chinese cluster, and the HS code and market compliance questions that arrive with the goods.

Source: https://luressource.com/insights/chinese-fishing-tackle-clusters/spec-and-compliance/

Direct answer. The specification is what makes two quotes comparable, and compliance is what lets the goods be sold. Both apply in every cluster, so they are stated once here rather than three times. Key facts. 1) The same specification discipline applies in all three clusters, and the same compliance questions arrive with the goods. 2) Colourway reference — a physical or measured reference, not a screen colour. 3) Packaging — bulk, polybag, header card or blister. 4) Sample approval — agree a documented approval step against a production-line sample before mass production. 5) This table is a starting point for the compliance conversation, not customs advice. Specification locks and market compliance Direct answer The specification is what makes two quotes comparable, and compliance is what lets the goods be sold. Both apply in every cluster, so they are stated once here rather than three times. Key facts The same specification discipline applies in all three clusters, and the same compliance questions arrive with the goods. Colourway reference — a physical or measured reference, not a screen colour. Packaging — bulk, polybag, header card or blister. Sample approval — agree a documented approval step against a production-line sample before mass production. This table is a starting point for the compliance conversation, not customs advice. The same specification discipline applies in all three clusters, and the same compliance questions arrive with the goods. Both are restated here once, rather than in three copies on the cluster pages that would drift apart the first time either changed. What has to be locked in the specification Parameters that decide the price of each family. Ask for all of them in writing. Family Decides the quotation The usual failure mode Soft lures Body length (mm) and weight (g), plasticiser feel, salt or scent loading, colourway reference, rigged or unrigged, hook or jig head by name Colour drift between batches; plasticiser feel changing in warm climates Hard lures Body material (ABS, PC), buoyancy class (floating, suspending, sinking), diving depth, rattle specification, split ring and treble by size and finish Hardware substitution; buoyancy drifting after a mould change Metal jigs Weight class (g), plating or finish, through-wire construction, assist hooks and cord, painted or foil finish Finish durability and corrosion; plating thickness not stated Rods Length and sections, blank material, power (UL–XH) and action (fast, moderate), line weight (lb), lure weight (g/oz), guide and reel seat by name, grip material Showroom sample differs from production; guides and reel seats substituted Reels Size class (1000–14000), gear ratio, bearing count, maximum drag, spool capacity, body material Drag figures quoted from a sample that is not the production build Line Material (nylon, fluorocarbon, PE), test strength, diameter, spool length, colour Diameter tolerance and spooling consistency; breaking strain below claim Terminal tackle Hook size and wire gauge, point style, coating (tin, nickel, black nickel), barbed or barbless; swivel and snap load ratings Tolerances on small metal parts; coating hardness Three items sit outside the product itself and change the programme as much as the product does: Colourway reference — a physical or measured reference, not a screen colour. State the tolerance you will accept. Packaging — bulk, polybag, header card or blister. Packaging moves the MOQ and the lead time more than the lure does. Sample approval — agree a documented approval step against a production-line sample before mass production. This is the single cheapest risk control in a tackle programme. HS codes and market compliance Export classification for tackle, and the compliance questions that come up per market. Classification should be confirmed with your customs broker for the exact product. Family Usual HS heading EU US Fishing rods 9507.10 REACH for coatings and grips; packaging rules Proposition 65 warning assessment Fish-hooks 9507.20 REACH for coatings Proposition 65 for metal finishes Fishing reels 9507.30 REACH for plastics and lubricants Proposition 65 assessment Lures and other line tackle 9507.40 REACH for soft plastics, paints and metals; phthalate limits Lead and phthalate limits; additional testing if marketed to children Fishing line Often outside 9507 — confirm by material Depends on filament classification Depends on filament classification This table is a starting point for the compliance conversation, not customs advice. Ask your broker to confirm the code and your importer to confirm the testing requirement for the destination market — and ask the factory for the test report rather than a statement of compliance. Where this sits in the process This page is one topic out of the verification standard. The overview is Which Chinese fishing tackle cluster should you source from? , and the other topics on this page are listed there. Where to next Product catalogue Sample listings with price per unit Verified directory Factories that passed 4 verification gates How sourcing works Six steps, timing, failure modes Price benchmark Reference bands and MOQ tiers Updated 2026-09-12 Scope Fishing tackle sourcing Sources 5 cited Was this page useful? Yes, useful Not really Sources Local cluster manufacturing moves up the value chain, with Weihai's tackle industry holding about 60% of global fishing-rod output (Harbin Radio and Television, Chinese-language) Nearly 60% of the world's fishing rods are made in Weihai; city tackle exports rose 18.4% year on year in the first two months of the year (Qilu Network, Chinese-language) 2026 analysis of the fishing tackle industry, with Weihai holding 90% of China's domestic fishing-rod market (China BGAO Report Hall, chinabgao.com, Chinese-language) One small fishing rod, one industry chain, as Monan township in Xianxian sells tackle nationwide (Hebei News Network, Cangzhou, Chinese-language) China's tackle industry dominates the world (China Times News Network feature, 2025-01-06, Chinese-language)