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.

Oct. 30, 2025: U.S.-Korea Trade Deal Details Released
Oct. 28, 2025: Japan in Critical Minerals Agreement with U.S.
Oct. 27, 2025: Trump Terminates Talks on Trade with Canada
Oct. 27, 2025: USTR Confirms Trade Frameworks with Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam (so far)
Oct. 21, 2025: USTR Considers 301 Tariffs and Suspended CAFTA-DR Benefits for Nicaragua
Oct. 17, 2025: Trump Imposes Heavy Truck and Bus 232 Starting November 1
Oct. 16, 2025: Cassidy Pitches Carbon Tax as IEEPA Replacement
Oct. 9, 2025: Changes to Steel and Aluminum Duties are in the Wind
Oct. 7, 2025: Trump Announces New 25% Tariff on All Medium and Heavy-Duty Trucks
Oct. 6, 2025: BIS Expends Entity List with Entity 50 Percent Rule
Sep. 30, 2025: 232 Duties on Wood Products to be Implemented October 14
Sep. 25, 2025: U.S. Updates Tariff to Reflect EU Framework Agreement
Sep. 25, 2025: Up is Down and Bread is Pasta
Sep. 25, 2025: Commerce Launches 232 Investigations into Medical Supplies, Robotics, and Industrial Machinery
Sep. 24, 2025: CIT Vacates Forced Labor Determination as "Arbitrary and Capricious"
Sep. 24, 2025: CIT Affirms Classification of Fish Oil
Sep. 24, 2025: Withhold Release Order Issued for Giant Bicycles, Parts, and Accessories
Sep. 22, 2025: CBP Determines New Origin for Brake Hoses
Sep. 16, 2025: Steel and Aluminum Derivatives Open for *More* Additions (Somehow)
Sep. 16, 2025: USTR Opens Comments for 2026 USMCA Review
Sep. 16, 2025: Commerce Issues Interim Auto Parts 232 Inclusion Process Information
Sep. 15, 2025: Implementing Some Tariff-Related Elements of the U.S.-Japan Agreement
Sep. 12, 2025: U.S. Tariff Focus in the Limelight of Mounting Russia Sanctions Debate
Sep. 8, 2025: Another Friday Surprise: Reciprocal Tariff Coverage Modified
Sep. 5, 2025: U.S. Seeks Expedited Writ of Certiorari from SCOTUS on IEEPA Tariffs Case
Sep. 5, 2025: 500% Tariffs & Other Sanctions Looming on Russia And Its Trading Partners
Sep. 5, 2025: U.S.–Japan Trade Deal Clarified to 15% Inclusive, Retroactive Tariff
Sep. 5, 2025: Mexico Considering Increasing Non-FTA Tariffs
Sep. 2, 2025: BIS Ending Validated End User (VEU) Program
Aug. 29, 2025: Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Rules Against IEEPA Tariffs
Aug. 21, 2025: US and EU confirm Trade Framework in Joint Statement
Aug. 19, 2025: High-Priority Sectors Added to UFLPA Enforcement
Aug. 18, 2025: CBP Touts (Some) Dumping Evasion Wins
Aug. 15, 2025: New AD/CVD Petitions on High Purity Dissolving Pulp from Brazil and Norway
Aug. 15, 2025: Commerce Adds 407 (!) HTS Codes to 232 Derivative Annexes Starting Monday
Aug. 14, 2025: U.S. Eyes Content Percentage for "Transshipment" Enforcement
Aug. 11, 2025: Trump Extends China Tariffs by 90 Days
Aug. 11, 2025: Creatively Ambiguous Japan Deal has Unstacked 15% Baseline
Aug. 8, 2025: Indications of Steel and Aluminum Quotas for EU in Trade Deal
Aug. 6, 2025: Additional 25% Tariffs on Indian Imports Announced
Aug. 1, 2025: New Round of Global Tariffs: A Round Up
Jul. 31, 2025: Copper 232 Coverage Issued Through Customs
Jul. 30, 2025: Gird Your Wires: Copper Tariffs Coming August 1st
Jul. 30, 2025: Brazil Gets Its Own IEEPA Tariffs
Jul. 30, 2025: De Minimis Window to Close August 29
Jul. 29, 2025: Boston Train Cars Detained by Customs for Forced Labor Allegations
Jul. 28, 2025: Trump Announces Trade Agreement Framework with the EU

View Archive

Jan. 22, 2025: Webinar: What We Know After the Inauguration
Sep. 9, 2024: McPherson to Co-Moderate Export Enforcement Discussion
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