CPSC’s Office of Import Surveillance (EXIS) works closely with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to identify and examine imported shipments of consumer products. As part of this effort, EXIS has co-located investigators at many of the largest ports of entry who work side-by-side with CBP staff. EXIS also works to educate importers, manufacturers, and Customs brokers on CPSC’s standards and procedures.
Letters of Advice
CPSC issues Letters of Advice when there is a violation of a mandatory standard. These letters advise companies of the violation and of the nature of the necessary corrective action, which may include a recall, stop sale, or correction of production.
eFiling Alpha Pilot
CPSC is pleased to announce the successful launch of the eFiling Alpha Pilot. We are grateful to the companies below for dedicating the time and resources to help us with this important initiative:
- F&T Apparel LLC
- Fruit of the Loom
- IKEA
- Mizuno USA, Inc.
- The Procter & Gamble Company
- Russell Brands, LLC
- Walmart Stores, Inc.
It’s not too late to join. CPSC is still accepting applications to participate in the pilot to fill two recently vacated participant slots. Please refer to the Federal Register Notice for additional information and details on how to apply. Now that the pilot is live, the ability to begin filing targeting/enforcement data by October 1, 2016 will be an additional consideration in filling the remaining participant slots.
The pilot focuses on testing the capability of importers to electronically file targeting/enforcement data through U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and for CPSC to receive and review that data. A critical component of the test involves understanding and comparing the levels of effort and resources required when using the eFiling Product Registry versus filing all data with CBP at time of entry.
The volunteer participants and their brokers have been working closely with our CPSC eFiling Alpha Pilot team to understand the filing requirements for the CPSC PGA Message Set data. CPSC is using CBP’s Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) for filers to electronically file data as a supplement to entry information already submitted to CBP. Participants provide their product enforcement/targeting data through: (1) a Full PGA Message Set filing, where all data are submitted to CBP at entry; or (2) a Reference PGA Message Set filing, where the data are entered in advance in the CPSC eFiling Product Registry, and a reference to that data record is filed with the entry information submitted to CBP.
eFiling Alpha Pilot participants received access to the Product Registry in early March, and proceeded to enter data and provide feedback on the system. We appreciate the input they have provided about the process. The participants successfully began filing their product enforcement/targeting data in July 2016, and we expect the pilot to run for approximately 6 months. We look forward to adding more companies to the pilot, to continue progress on the eFiling Alpha Pilot, and we would like to offer a huge “thank you!” to all of our participants. We couldn’t have done this without you!
A recording of the public meeting on the eFiling Alpha Pilot Adult Wearing Apparel Exemption - Disclaimer Options (April 13th 2016)
A demo of the eFiling Product Registry (February 25th, 2016)
Watch Video
The draft CATAIR implementation guide can be reviewed here.
Business Rules for the CPSC eFiling Alpha Pilot define the data acceptance of data in the CPSC CATAIR Implementation Guide:
The HTS codes for which electronic filing is sought in the eFiling Alpha Pilot can be reviewed here:
This document provides an overview of the eFiling Product Registry:
CPSC eFiling Product Registry - Overview
These documents describe the design for a public REST service for updating product data in the CPSC eFiling Product Registry application:
eFiling Product Registry Update Service Pilot System Design Overview
Port Surveillance News
About 8.2 million units that violated U.S. safety rules or were found to be defective stopped in 3rd and 4th quarters.
Port Surveillance News: CPSC Uses Pilot Risk Assessment Tool to Strengthen Import Safety Program
State-of-the-art risk assessment methodology allowed CPSC to protect consumers from 6.1 million units of products that violated U.S. safety rules or that were found to be defective in the first and second quarters of fiscal year 2013.
Fourth quarter import surveillance totals kept pace with those of the third quarter, with about 5,900 products screened and about 410 identified as being noncompliant with CPSC’s safety rules.
The number of products stopped at the ports in the 3rd quarter of FY2012 was nearly three times the amount stopped in the previous two quarters combined.
CPSC Investigators Find, Stop Nearly 650,000 Unsafe Products at the Start of Fiscal Year 2012
CPSC investigators prevented more than half a million violative and hazardous imported products from reaching the hands of consumers in the first quarter of fiscal year 2012.
CPSC port investigators identified and stopped more than 300 different consumer products that violated U.S. safety rules or were found to be hazardous, including children's toys and sleepwear, fireworks and mattresses.
CPSC Stops Unsafe Products Before They Reach Consumers
Stepped up efforts by CPSC to be more proactive have resulted in hundreds of millions of violative or dangerous units of products being stopped at U.S. ports and prevented from ever reaching the hands of consumers.
Navigating the Import Process
The Director of CPSC Import Surveillance Carol Cave and CBP's Jeremy Baskin used this presentation in a discussion about consumer product imports, import detention and destruction policies.