New Safety Certification Requirement Will Affect Reimported Goods Too

(World Trade Interactive – Lauren Perez)

Do you source consumer goods from a global wholesaler? Do you export products from the U.S. for warehousing in Canada, perform pick ‘n pack operations there and subsequently reimport the goods? Do you source genuine consumer products abroad and import them into the U.S. to provide American consumers with competitive pricing on brand-name goods? If any of these situations describe your business operations, it may be nearly impossible for you to comply with the new safety certification requirements that take effect for regulated consumer products manufactured on or after November 12. And if you can’t, your products may not be permitted to enter or be distributed within the U.S.

As a part of its implementation of the Consumer Protection Safety Improvement Act signed by President Bush this summer, beginning November 12 the Consumer Product Safety Commission will require, as a condition of import and distribution within the U.S., that paper certificates of conformity accompany any regulated consumer product manufactured anywhere in the world. These certificates must be issued by the manufacturer, the importer AND the private labeler of each individual such article, as applicable. Each and every certificate must be based on actual product testing that is done either in-house or by an accredited third-party laboratory.

It is important to understand that this certification requirement will apply to each and every regulated consumer product: even if the products are sourced from global wholesalers and not manufacturers; even if domestically made products are warehoused in Canada for reimportation and the original producer is difficult to ascertain; even if hundreds or thousands of different products are stored and then picked and packed for consolidated shipment on a single truckload; and even if the importer and the manufacturer are in fact competitors and unlikely to have a direct relationship. The end result is that regulated goods will require at least one, usually two and sometimes three separate paper certificates of conformity in order to ever reach American consumers. Read the complete article here.