Printable Version CPSC regulations require special certificates for US imports of consumer products


New US legislation enacted by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), which is responsible for protecting the American public from safety hazards associated with over 15,000 types of product, requires a new Certificate of Conformity from US importers for all items which are subject to their regulations or standards. The new certificate provides proof that the goods concerned have been tested and approved for use and must contain considerable detail, including the following:

  • Full contact information for the manufacturer
  • The CPSC rule or standard against which the product has been tested and certified
  • The 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 14th August 2009 will also require tracking labels to identify the manufacturer, location and date of production. Goods intended for use by adults are also subject to tests, but their manufacturers or suppliers can carry out and certify these themselves.

Although the new certificate is not currently required by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as a condition of entry or release, importers must present it to CBP or CPSC officials on demand, and are also required to provide copies for their distributors and retailers. Nothing is currently required from the shippers at origin.

You are strongly advised to ensure that all goods to be exported to the US that are subject to the new CPSC standards have been appropriately tested by the suppliers or manufacturers.

You can find full details of all the current safety standards required by the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) and the new Certificate of Conformity by accessing 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