Today’s bipartisan vote to approve the electronic filing (eFiling) of key information from certificates of compliance is one of the most consequential steps CPSC will take to modernize our screening process at ports of entry. With the passage of this rule, the Commission is sending a clear message that ensuring imported products are safe for all Americans, especially our kids, is a top priority.

The eFiling program will apply to all imported consumer products subject to a mandatory standard, including de minimis shipments. The program will require importers of regulated products to electronically file data from certificates of compliance with CPSC and will revise certain requirements for those certificates. eFiling will enable CPSC and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to use this information to more efficiently target high-risk products being imported into the United States. That means fewer unsafe products coming into the country and into consumers homes. 

The new rule will take effect 18 months from publication in the Federal Register with a 24-month effective date for consumer products imported from Foreign Trade Zones (FTZs). Feedback from industry through two pilot phases has been critical to informing this rule and ensuring that the eFiling requirements are workable for CPSC and for companies. Not only will eFiling enable CPSC to enhance its screening process, but it will also reduce risk scores and hold times for compliant product importers – allowing low-risk shipments to reach consumers more quickly and efficiently. 

This rule will align CPSC’s practices with those of our sister agencies, like CBP, at the border and allow for the safer trade of consumer goods. I sincerely thank CPSC’s staff for their hard work, diligence, and commitment to developing this program.

* The views expressed in this statement are solely the views of Chair Hoehn-Saric and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Commission.