Product Safety

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The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from the risk of injury or death associated with the use of consumer products. In particular, CPSC works to protect consumers from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazards. CPSC’s Compliance Investigators, also known as the “Toy Police,” work closely with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at ports to identify and examine imported consumer products.

If CPSC determines that an imported product is unsafe and violates an applicable statute, CPSC may issue a Letter of Advice (LOA) that identifies the statute and the compliance failure. CPSC may also recommend that CBP seize the products or take other appropriate actions. However, sometimes these LOA and CBP seizures are based on erroneous information or other inaccuracies. In these cases, the experienced attorneys at Barnes Richardson can work with the importer to gather and present evidence of compliance to the CPSC and seek the release of seized property from CBP.

Jul. 23, 2024: Importers Required to Certify that Malaysian and Vietnamese Goods Don't Come From China
Jul. 23, 2024: OFAC's Extended Statue of Limitations
Jul. 22, 2024: Three Years in Prison for Export Violations for Hong Kong Man
Jul. 11, 2024: PVC, Aluminum, and Seafood New Target Sectors for Forced Labor
Jul. 10, 2024: Mexico and the US Have a Meeting of the Minds on Steel and Aluminum Transshipment
Jul. 9, 2024: Alleged Victim of Forced Labor in Chinese Prison Sues American Company for Damages
Jul. 8, 2024: BIS Publishes Report on Export Violations
Jul. 1, 2024: Supreme Court Overturns Chevron, Does it Impact Trade Cases?
Jun. 27, 2024: Crackdown on U.S. Outbound Investment to China
Jun. 24, 2024: AD & CVD Rates for Solar Cells of China Imposed on Imports From Vietnam
Jun. 24, 2024: $285K Export Control Penalty by BIS
Jun. 21, 2024: Illicit Houthi Shipment Sanctions
Jun. 18, 2024: The Nuclear Option: BIS's Power to Deny Export Privileges
Jun. 17, 2024: To Be or Not to Be, Is that the Question for USMCA?
Jun. 10, 2024: Importers Must Plan for Possible East Coast and Gulf Coast Strikes
Jun. 5, 2024: U.S. Company Settles Anti-Boycott Violation
Jun, 4, 2024: Indo-Pacific Framework Comments Due by June 21
May 30, 2024: USTR Requests Labor Review of Mexico's Largest Auto Assembly Plant
May 28, 2024: U.S. Companies Should Remain Vigilant for Anti-Boycott Provision
May 28, 2024: Most Section 301 Exclusions Expiring Mid-June
May 22, 2024: HTS Codes Published for Section 301 Tariff Increase
May 20, 2024: Commerce Makes Major Changes to (Some) Section 232 Exclusions
May 20, 2024: Senate Committee Takes Aim at Likely BMW and Jaguar Forced Labor Imports
May 17, 2024: DHS' Largest Ever One-Time UFLPA Entity List Expansion
May 14, 2024: Section 301 Tariffs to Remain, Increase in Some Industries
May 8, 2024: The Largest-Ever Civil Penalty for "Made in USA" Violation
May 3, 2024: Final Rule on EV Battery Tax Credit
May 3, 2024: New Bill Proposes Battery Supply Chain Tracing
Apr. 30, 2024: Understanding Exporter Liability for Re-Exports
Apr. 25, 2024: Mexico Imposes Very High Duties on Some Imports
Apr. 22, 2024: Climate and Trade Task Force Created
Apr. 16, 2024: Russian Aluminum, Copper, and Nickel Prohibition
Apr. 12, 2024: Using French and British English to Classify Imports
Apr. 5, 2024: The United States Trade Representative Grinds the Gears of the Rapid Response Mechanism with Two New Requests for Mexico
Apr. 4, 2024: End-User and End-Use Restrictions 101
Apr. 2, 2024: Customs Cracks Down on Invoice Descriptions
Mar. 22, 2024: End -User Restrictions for OFAC SDN Listed Entities
Mar. 22, 2023: DHS Gets a Budget Boost for Combating Forced Labor
Mar. 18, 2024: EAPA Final Rule Allows (Representatives of) Parties to Access Business Confidential Information
Feb. 16, 2024: Volkswagen High-End Vehicles Detained under Forced Labor Law
Feb. 15, 2024: First Bond Guidance in 33 Years Issued
Feb. 13, 2024: Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity Implemented
Feb. 12, 2024: The 2018 Trade War Has Been an Employment Failure
Feb. 9, 2024: New Export Control Know-Your-Customer (KYC) Requirements for IaaS Providers
Feb. 2, 2024: Court Clarifies What Qualifies as a "Basket Provision"
Feb. 1, 2024: Fine Makes Clear That the FTC is Serious About Made in USA
Jan. 30, 2024: Sheffield Issues Guide for the Solar or EV Battery Sectors

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Jun. 2, 2023: BRC and Attorneys Ranked in 2023 Chambers Guide
March 3, 2017: Watch the Webinar: Consumer Products Safety and Customs Enforcement at the Border
By: Lawrence M. Friedman
February 14, 2017: BRC, Joern Law Firm to Hold Joint Webinar on Consumer Product Safety Rules and Import Requirements
By: Lawrence M. Friedman