The Consumer Product Safety Commission has approved a final rule to implement electronic filing of certificate information for regulated, imported consumer products and to revise requirements for Certificates of Compliance.

Among its provisions, the new rule will require private labelers to certify domestic products, unless the manufacturer certifies the product. It also aligns the agency’s existing certificate rule with other CPSC rules on testing and certification.  

Chair Alexander Hoehn-Saric noted during his address at PPAI’s Product Responsibility Summit in October that the agency was nearly ready to launch its new eFiling program to support faster processing for imports and emphasize focus on higher-risk products.

Under the new rule, requirements impacting most imported consumer products and those produced domestically will take effect 18 months from publication in the Federal Register. A 24-month effective date will apply to consumer products imported into a Foreign Trade Zone, which is a secure area under U.S. Customs and Border Protection supervision located in or near ports of entry.

The eFiling program was informed by industry testing and feedback through pilots conducted between 2016 and 2024. In addition, the CPSC is inviting up to 2,000 additional importers to sign up for the eFiling voluntary stage to develop and test their systems before eFiling becomes mandatory. Over the coming months, new participants will receive invitations to test eFiling systems. CPSC will conduct a phased rollout to ensure new participants receive quality support and guidance.

The new eFiling program will apply to all imported consumer products subject to a mandatory safety standard, as set forth in the rule, including de minimis shipments (limited to an aggregate value less than $800 per day by a single importer). The program will require importers of regulated products that require certification – specifically, a General Certificate of Conformity or Children’s Product Certificate – to electronically file data elements at the time of filing an entry, including:

  • Identification of the finished product.
  • The party certifying compliance.
  • Each consumer product safety rule to which the finished product has been certified.
  • Date and place the finished product was manufactured.
  • When and where the finished product was most recently tested for compliance.
  • Contact information for the person maintaining test records.

This information will help CBP and CPSC deliver more efficient product inspections and more effectively target high-risk products being imported into the United States. It is expected that eFiling will also reduce inspection frequency and hold times for compliant product importers, rewarding firms with a record of compliance and enabling their imports to move more quickly.

“The bipartisan passage of the eFiling rule is one of the most consequential steps CPSC will take to modernize our screening process at ports of entry,” said Hoehn-Saric. “Ensuring that imported products are safe for Americans, especially our kids, is a priority for the agency.”

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