U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Archives - Page 3 of 3

Ongoing Hoverboard Concerns

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Address Ongoing Litigation & Seizure of one of the hottest toys, the Hoverboard.

Hoverboards, as they are commonly known, are self-balancing two-wheeled electric scooters. They are powered by controversial rechargeable batteries that have recently garnered attention for malfunctioning, causing devices to catch fire and destroy homes. The lithium-ion batteries have been known to overheat, catch fire, and explode without warning.

Several airlines have begun to prohibit transportation of the boards aboard aircraft, due to safety concerns. Amazon.com is placing safety first and offering consumers that have purchased a hoverboard from Amazon a full refund. Hoverboards are also facing additional litigation from Mark Cuban, who potentially has a patent infringement claim against Walmart for selling the devices.

According to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, “The federal government continues to work in close coordination on this serious issue. Officials from CPSC, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration are regularly sharing information and insights with a common goal of taking whatever steps are necessary to prevent injuries and property damage from fires and falls.” They recommend having a fire extinguisher handy and keeping the device far away from combustible materials while charging. There are not currently any safety standards in place for hoverboards, which would require proof of sound design, manufacturing, and quality control processes. This lack of regulation adds to the danger […]

By Jennifer Diaz|2016-01-27T16:57:49-05:00January 27, 2016|Best Practices, China, Import, Intellectual Property Rights, International Business, International Trade, International Travel, Pre-compliance, Seizure, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)|1 Comment

Do You Want to be a “Trusted Trader”? C-TPAT is No Longer Enough

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently published the long awaited Federal Register Notice, dated June 16, 2014, discussing the “Announcement of Trusted Trader Program Test.” This new “Trusted Trader” program is big news for U.S. and non-resident Canadian importers, and if implemented will combine the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) and Importer Self Assessment (ISA) programs, making ISA extinct. CBP is currently recruiting test companies that have to be willing to go through an 18 month program test.
What is the Trusted Trader Program?

CBP will unify CTPAT and ISA programs into a new “Trusted Trader” program. Companies will still have the option to apply for CTPAT and opt out of the Trusted Trader Program, but, the ISA program will be replaced by the Trusted Trader program. CBP aims to align the Trusted Trade program with Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programs, which focus on a combined trade and security compliance model.
CBP is collaborating with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to develop the new “Trusted Trader” program aims to “streamline the process through which importers can establish to CBP that they strive to secure their supply chains and strengthen their internal controls for compliance with the existing laws and regulations administered or enforced by CBP.” The 3 government agencies will collaborate, share information, streamline the application and validation process; and increase the efficiencies in the existing trade programs.
CBP plans to utilize the Centers of Excellence and Expertise […]

By Jennifer Diaz|2022-07-08T16:31:08-04:00June 26, 2014|CTPAT, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)|0 Comments

Florida Companies Convicted and Sentenced

Co Authored by Robert Becerra

In another example of the government’s continuing use of the criminal justice system to enforce international trade laws, three Florida companies and their management were recently convicted and sentenced for importing smuggled toys from China containing lead and containing counterfeit trademarks.

LM Import-Export, Inc., Lam’s Investment Corp., and LK Toys Corp., Hung Lam and Isabella Kit Yeung plead guilty to charges of conspiracy to traffic and smuggle toys containing hazardous substances such as lead, and one count of trafficking in counterfeit goods, in violation of 18 U.S.C. Secs. 371 and 2320, respectively. Co-defendant Yeung plead guilty to one misdemeanor count of submitting a false country of origin label, in violation of 19 U.S.C. Sec. 1304(a). The information, or charging document filed in court, against all defendants, as well as the plea agreements for each defendant can be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida. (If you have trouble getting these documents, email me and I’d be happy to share them with you).
The facts underlying the charges, as stated in court documents, are that from April, 2000, until May 2011, a span of 11 years, the corporate defendants conspired to sell children’s products imported from China in violation of the Consumer Product Safety Act 15 U.S.C. Sec. 2068, and the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, 15 U.S.C. Sec. 1263. Some of […]

By Jennifer Diaz|2013-06-28T19:55:00-04:00June 28, 2013|Best Practices, Import, Intellectual Property Rights, penalty, Seizure, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)|0 Comments

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Not Just Toys and Games

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) officers will target more imported merchandise for safety risk assessments using information filed with U.S. Customs and Border Protection by importers or their customs brokers. The CPSC is an independent health and safety regulatory agency that is responsible for protecting the American public from unreasonable risks of injury and death from about 15,000 types of consumer products. Since the passage of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008, CPSC increased the number of staff co-located with U.S. Customs at U.S. ports of entry. Recently, U.S. Customs Commissioner Alan Bersin and CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum signed a memorandum of understanding to create an Import Safety Commercial Targeting and Analysis Center (CTAC).

CTAC is the culmination of President Obama’s Food Safety Working Group focused on (1) prevention, (2) surveillance, and (3) responding to the attempted importation into the United States of unsafe products. The authority of CPSC officers is modeled after the authority and actions by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

CPSC will soon issue its own Detention Notices, rather than having U.S. Customs do it, for imported cargo that is suspected of being unsafe. CPSC will not only target and detain toys, games, and other children’s’ products, but also products previously screened only the FDA – food, cosmetic, medical devices, and dietary supplements.

The $600,000 penalty that Target Corp., of Minneapolis, Minn. has agreed to pay to CPSC for allegedly violating the federal lead paint […]

By Jennifer Diaz|2015-12-01T01:32:47-05:00May 14, 2010|Import, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)|1 Comment

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