Butler Williams & Skilling Blog

Unsafe Products Continue to Stream Into America From China

Despite the flood of imported products streaming into America, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has no acess to certain customs information that could help prevent the sale of dangerous products.  According to a report by the Government Accountability Office, back in 2002, CPSC asked the Customs and Border Protection agency (Customs) for access to "manifest data" that describes cargo coming into the country.  The CPSC sought to have information about products in such shipments before they arrive in the United States.  Seven years later, the two agencies have not yet worked out terms of shared access to the information, leaving the agency responsible for ensuring that consumer products do not pose health or safety risks to our citizens in the dark about advance shipment information.

In comparison, the Food and Drug Administration receives advance shipment information from Customs.  How many more U.S. children must be poisoned by toys lathered with lead paint by Chinese manufacturers before Customs gives the CPSC access to the manifest data? Click here to view the GAO report.