US Customs or CPSC Rejected Your Shipment? Emergency Action Plan for Importers

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US shipment rejected

Shipments can be subject to inspections or detention by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Failing to manage these situations correctly can result in major delays or even destroyed shipments.

This guide explains why inbound shipments are rejected or detained, and the actions you can take to come to a resolution.

Note: In this guide, we mainly focus on actions taken by the CPSC or the CBP. However, other US government agencies could also be involved in shipment rejections or detentions.
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Electronics Labelling Requirements in the European Union

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Electronics Labelling Requirements in the European Union

Electronic products sold in the European Union are subject to various product regulations and directives, which in turn set labelling requirements. In this guide, we list several key EU electronics labelling requirements concerning compliance marks, traceability information, warnings, and more.
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Fishing Gear Regulations in the United States: An Overview

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Fishing Gear Regulations in the United States

Fishing gear imported to and manufactured in the United States is subject to various regulations and other compliance requirements. Examples include California Proposition 65 and the CPSIA.

The applicable compliance requirements depend on the intended age group, materials, where you sell the products, and other factors explained in this article.

Related products

  • Fishing rods
  • Fishing nets
  • Fishing bobbers
  • Fishing lures

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EU Customs Rejected Your Shipment? A Step-by-Step Guide for Importers

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EU Customs Rejected Your Shipment? A Step-by-Step Guide for Importers

Containers and cargo shipments arriving in the European Union are sometimes subject to product compliance checks. When this happens, you can only secure a release by providing documentation demonstrating compliance with applicable EU regulations and directives.

In this guide, we explain why shipments are rejected by the customs authorities in EU member states and what steps you can take to resolve the situation.
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List of Products Covered by California Proposition 65: An Overview

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California Proposition 65 sets substance restrictions and warning labeling requirements for products sold in California. You must either ensure that the product does not contain restricted substances above the set limits or affix a warning label informing consumers of potentially harmful substance contents.

This guide lists examples of product categories covered by California Proposition 65 and examples of restricted substances that may be present in such products.

Methodology

This guide is primarily based on products that are mentioned on www.p65warnings.ca.gov. The website contains:

a. Fact sheets covering specific product categories (e.g., “motor vehicle parts”), or;

b. Fact sheets covering specific substances (e.g., lead and lead compounds), which, in turn, provide examples of products that may contain restricted substances (e.g., ceramic dishes)

Note that these are not necessarily all products covered by California Proposition 65. Our understanding is that there is no definitive product list. Instead, California Proposition 65 is concerned with substances, rather than specific products. That being said, this guide can still help you form a clear understanding of which products are subject to California Proposition 65 and their respective substance risks.

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Fake Product Certificates and Test Reports: An Essential Guide

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Product testing and certification can be expensive. Consultants and lab testing services can charge thousands of dollars. As such, suppliers have an incentive to cut corners by either creating or buying fake lab test reports and product certificates for a fraction of what it would cost to do it the right way.

In many, if not most, cases, suppliers are not even aware of the fact that the compliance documents are invalid.

The unfortunate result is that businesses buy non-compliant and unsafe products on the basis of fake test reports and certificates. This has the direct effect of exposing their own business to financial ruin and their customers to potentially lethal products. Think exploding phone chargers and toxic toys.

This guide explains what you can do to identify fake test reports, certificates, and other compliance documents.
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EU Technical Documentation Requirements for Toys

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EU Technical Documentation Requirements for Toys

This guide explains how to create technical documentation for toys, in accordance with Annex IV of the Toy Safety Directive. The format and information included in the technical documentation depend on the toy product and whether or not you follow EN 71 parts or other harmonised standards.

Toy Safety Regulation: The Directive will be replaced by a newer Toy Safety Regulation. You can find information about the new regulation and related technical documentation requirements in this guide.
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Which products are covered by the EUDR?

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Products are covered by the EUDR

The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) sets requirements for materials and products covered by listed CN codes in Annex I. This includes both raw materials and certain types of finished products.

This guide lists commodities and product categories which are within the scope of such CN codes, and therefore covered by the EUDR.

Methodology

1. This guide lists the commodities covered by Annex I of the EU Deforestation Regulation. For each commodity, we list all the covered CN codes, relevant product categories, and product examples for each CN code / product category.

2. A CN code is an eight-digit commodity code used to classify goods in the EU. CN codes are set out in Regulation (EEC) 2658/87.

3. The tables in this guide only list examples of covered products, as found in Regulation (EEC) 2658/87. You can find the full list of products for each CN code in Regulation (EEC) 2658/87.
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Which Products Require a General Certificate of Conformity (GCC)?

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Products subject to certain mandatory product safety rules must be covered by a General Certificate of Conformity (GCC). This guide explains how you can determine whether a General Certificate of Conformity is required for your product. We also provide examples of products subject to this requirement.
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How to Create a General Certificate of Conformity (GCC) in 7 Steps

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This guide explains how to create a General Certificate of Conformity (GCC) in 7 steps based on the standard CPSC sample structure. Each point explains what information to include, complete with examples of the different formats that can be used.

Note that this guide is written based on the assumption that you lack the capability to perform your own testing according to applicable product safety rules and must therefore use a third-party testing company.
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