CPSC eFiling Is Now Live: What U.S. Importers Sourcing from China Need to Know

Official Resources and Self-Service Tools

Online discussions can highlight real operational problems, but Reddit posts, supplier claims, freight-forwarder notices, and marketplace messages aren’t substitutes for official guidance.

The following U.S. government resources allow importers, retailers, and customers to research product requirements directly.

Start Here: Check Whether a Product Is Regulated

• CPSC Regulatory Robot
  Answer a series of product-specific questions to identify CPSC requirements that may apply. This is one of the best starting points for a new product.
• CPSC Mandatory Standards and Bans
  Search CPSC’s product list for mandatory safety standards, bans, labeling rules, and related business guidance.
• Children’s Product Classification FAQ
  Review how CPSC distinguishes a children’s product from a general-use product.
• CPSC Business Guidance Library
  Find product-specific compliance guides, FAQs, labeling information, and explanations written for businesses.

CPC and GCC Certificate Guidance

• Children’s Product Certificate Guide and Examples
  Review the required CPC information and see CPSC examples for toys, clothing, bassinets, and other children’s products.
• CPC Frequently Asked Questions
  Find official answers about who issues a CPC, acceptable testing, foreign manufacturer reports, electronic certificates, and certificate availability.
• General-Use Product Certification and GCC Guidance
  Learn when a general-use product needs a GCC and what type of testing or reasonable testing program may support it.
• GCC Frequently Asked Questions
  Review who must issue a GCC, which products require one, and how certificates should be provided and maintained.
• Rules Requiring a GCC
  Check CPSC’s official list of general-use product rules that require testing and certification.

Testing and Laboratory Verification

• CPSC-Accepted Laboratory Search
  Search by country, laboratory name, Lab ID, or testing scope. Always confirm that the lab is accepted for the specific rule being tested.
• Children’s Product Rules Requiring Third-Party Testing
  Identify which children’s product safety rules require testing by a CPSC-accepted laboratory.
• CPSC Testing and Certification Center
  Access official guidance on initial testing, periodic testing, material changes, component-part testing, CPCs, and GCCs.

CPSC eFiling and Product Registry

• CPSC eFiling Homepage
  Read the latest eFiling announcements, implementation updates, and program information.
• CPSC eFiling FAQs
  Find official answers about Full and Reference PGA Message Sets, low-value shipments, used goods, Product IDs, disclaimers, and enforcement.
• eFiling Resources for Importers
  Review importer responsibilities, account setup, filing methods, and the relationship between importers and customs brokers.
• CPSC eFiling Document Library
  Access the Product Registry guide, Quick Start materials, CATAIR implementation guidance, CSV templates, citation codes, testing exclusions, and training webinars.
• CPSC Product Registry
  Create or access a business account, store product certificate data, and prepare Reference PGA certificate identifiers.
• CPSC eFiling HTS Guidance
  Review the HTS codes CPSC considers likely to include regulated or high-risk products. The list is guidance only and is not exhaustive.

HTS Classification and U.S. Customs Resources

• Official U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule Search
  Search the current U.S. HTS by product description or tariff number. This database is maintained by the U.S. International Trade Commission.
• CBP CROSS Customs Rulings Search
  Search previous U.S. Customs classification rulings for similar products. Prior rulings can be helpful, but they may not be binding for a different importer or product.
• CBP Automated Commercial Environment
  Learn how ACE is used for import entries, Partner Government Agency data, cargo release, and customs processing.

Recall and Product Safety Searches

• CPSC Recall and Product Safety Warning Search
  Search recalls by product, company, date, hazard, country of manufacture, or product category. Importers should check similar products and suppliers before placing an order.
• SaferProducts.gov
  Search consumer product safety reports and submit a report about a potentially unsafe product.

Federal Rules and Primary Legal Sources

• Final CPSC eFiling Rule: 90 FR 1800
  Read the complete Federal Register rule establishing the revised certificate and eFiling requirements.
• 16 CFR Part 1110: Certificates of Compliance
  Review the current regulatory text covering certificate responsibility, content, availability, eFiling, and recordkeeping.
• 16 CFR Part 1107: Testing and Certification
  Review periodic testing, production testing plans, material changes, and children’s product recordkeeping requirements.
• 16 CFR Part 1109: Component-Part Testing
  Review when an importer may rely on component or supplier testing and what documentation must be maintained.
• 16 CFR Part 1112: Third-Party Laboratories
  Review the federal requirements for third-party conformity assessment bodies.

How to Research Your Own Product

1. Enter the product into the CPSC Regulatory Robot.
2. Search the Mandatory Standards and Bans database for the product type and its components.
3. Determine whether the product is a children’s product or a general-use product, then review the applicable CPC or GCC guidance.
4. Verify each proposed testing laboratory through the CPSC laboratory database.
5. Search the product and supplier in the CPSC recall database.
6. Confirm the HTS classification using the USITC tariff database and discuss the entry with a licensed customs broker.
7. Before shipment, confirm that the product, test report, CPC or GCC, invoice, packing list, labels, and eFiling record all use matching product information.

Important: CPSC’s HTS guidance isn’t an exhaustive list of products requiring certification. A code’s absence from the list doesn’t automatically mean that certification isn’t required. A code’s presence also doesn’t mean that every product classified under that code requires a CPC or GCC.

Where to Ask Official Questions

• CPSC eFiling Support: eFilingSupport@cpsc.gov
• CPSC Small Business Ombudsman: SBO@cpsc.gov or (888) 531-9070
• CPSC Small Business Resources
  Access free compliance assistance, business education materials, and the CPSC Small Business Ombudsman contact form.

These links are provided so readers can verify the information in this article and research their own products using official U.S. government sources. Regulations, guidance, tariff classifications, laboratory status, and enforcement practices may change, so the applicable pages should be checked again before each new product launch or import program.