US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Requirements: Apparel Shipments

(GHY International)

We have received numerous requests from our clients with respect to the CPSC requirements for shipments of apparel into the United States effective November 12, 2008. We have been communicating with the Canadian Apparel Federation and other trade associates to get some clear guidelines. Quite simply, we have asked the question: “What documentation am I going to need on November 12 to ensure my product clears Customs?” Here is what we have been able to find out as of today:

• For a list of all that are controlled under CPSC please go to the list of regulated products on the CPSC website.

• Exemptions can be found under 1610 and 1610.38. Garments may be exempt based on the weight. You still need a Certificate but would just indicate the exemption (16CFR1610.37(d)).

A sample Certificate of Conformity (that includes completion instructions and FAQ) is available here (PDF file).

We have put the following two links on our website under Trade News Bulletins:

• A slide show outlining the program is available here.
• An informative summary by the trade law firm Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg is available here.

GHY will continue to update our website www.ghy.com and to send out emails to those clients we know will or could be directly impacted by this legislation. If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please contact Vicki Deluca at GHY International.