Worldwide Customs and Regulatory Updates
CPSC Detention of Imported Products
The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) recently announced they will begin actively detaining imported products that do not conform to applicable safety standards. This action is a direct result of new authority granted to the CPSC from legislation enacted in 2008, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). As part of CPSC’s increased involvement in review of imported products, CPSC also recently announced a new agreement with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), under which CPSC will have access to shipment pre-arrival data. CPSC will review the shipment data for product safety risk assessment and identify shipments for examination. Any products found not in conformance with applicable CPSC product standards may be formally detained.
Under the new procedures, CPSC will issue a formal notice of detention to the importer, citing details of violation and the applicable statute. The importer must then respond within 5 days and arrange corrective actions within 30 days. The shipment will remain under CBP custody until CPSC releases its detention.
Foreign manufacturers and shippers, and U.S. importers are advised to review all product lines imported to the U.S. for applicable CPSC safety standards. CPSC standards exist for a wide variety of products, including children’s apparel, toys, ATV’s, lawnmowers, and appliances. Many products require a certificate of conformity as evidence of compliance with CPSC standards, and some products require specific tracking labels.
For further details on products and standards, please refer to the following websites:
CPSC Overview, CPSIA Information: http://www.cpsc.gov/businfo/businfo.html
CBP-CPSC Press Release, April 26, 2010: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/national/04262010_2.xml