Figure *: Three Federal Policy Changes Reshaping Apparel Imports.
Source: CPSC, USPS PRC, USTR.
Digital filing reshapes import compliance
The biggest change is procedural, not regulatory. Since July *, ****, importers of consumer products regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) must electronically transmit product certificate data to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) through the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) as part of the customs entry process. Product certification has been mandatory since ****; what has changed is that compliance data must now be submitted digitally before goods are released, making digital data accuracy a prerequisite for customs clearance.
