Worldwide Customs and Regulatory Updates
Importing Consumer Products to the US
Effective November 12, 2008 the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) requires a new Certificate of Conformity for imported articles subject to regulations or standards issued by the CPSC.
On demand, the U.S. Customs can ask for the Certificate of Conformity. This certificate proves that the consumer goods have been tested and approved for use.
The certificate must contain considerable detail, including:
- Full contact information for the manufacturer or importer;
- The CPSC rule or standard for which the product is tested and certified;
- Place and date of the product’s manufacture;
- Consumer products intended for use by children 12 years of age or younger require testing and certification by an accredited third party testing laboratory.
In addition, children’s products manufactured after August 14, 2009, will require tracking labels to identify the manufacturer, location, and date of production.
Customers are advised to work with their U.S importers to determine if the certificate is required for any specific product and make sure their shipment carries the required certificate. Alternatively, a publicly available electronic version (e.g. via posting on the manufacturer's or importer's website) will be acceptable as well.
The importer must also provide a copy of the certificate to its distributors and retailers. Any shipment without the required certificate is subject to refusal and possible destruction.
Details of the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) and the new Certificate of Conformity are available from the following sources:
CPSIA Overview: http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html
CPSC Product Safety Standards: http://www.cpsc.gov/cgi-bin/regs.aspx
Sample Certificate of Conformity: http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/faq/elecertfaq.pdf