Starting July 8, 2026, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) mandates that all businesses shipping regulated consumer goods into the United States must electronically file product safety certificate data at the time of customs entry.
This CPSC eFiling requirement applies to all international shippers exporting to the U.S., regardless of shipment value. There is no low-value (de minimis or Section 321) exemption for direct-to-consumer e-commerce shipments.
Disclaimer:
This Help Center page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or trade compliance advice. We recommend consulting with your legal counsel or customs broker to determine how CPSC regulations apply to your specific business operations.
This regulation applies to any international business shipping finished consumer products into the United States that fall under CPSC jurisdiction.
Critical Exception Notice:
There is no low-value exemption for this rule. CPSC eFiling requirements apply to all regulated items entering the U.S., regardless of shipment value. This includes direct-to-consumer e-commerce shipments otherwise qualifying for de minimis (Section 321) duty-free entry.
Commonly regulated product categories include:
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Children’s Products: Toys, clothing, footwear, furniture, and car seats (ages 12 and under).
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General-Use Consumer Goods: Mattresses, bedding, bicycles, helmets, consumer electronics, textiles/apparel, and imitation jewelry.
Unsure if your products are covered? Use the official CPSC Regulatory Robot to identify which safety rules apply to your specific items.
The CPSC provides two primary methods for submitting certificate data. For regular shippers, the CPSC Product Registry method is highly recommended as it minimizes the data required for individual shipments.
This Filing Workflow helps you to determine product eligibility so you can set up registration ahead of enforcement deadlines.
Source: Shapiro / Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) e-Filing - Shapiro
You pre-register your product certificates directly in the CPSC Product Registry Portal. The system generates three short reference identifiers for each product, which are the only elements needed during label creation or API submission:
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Certifier ID
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Product ID
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Certificate Version ID
If your product mix varies frequently and items are not pre-registered, full certificate details must be provided at the time of entry. This comprehensive data set includes:
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Product Identifier (GTIN)
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Applicable CPSC safety rules
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Date and place of manufacture
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Manufacturer name and contact information
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Most recent lab test date and location
To avoid entry delays, shipment holds, or asset forfeiture at the border, ensure this compliance data is captured in your international shipping workflow before generating labels.
For merchants managing international orders directly in the ShipStation web interface:
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Check Product HTS Codes: Product Catalog Setup
Go to your Products tab. Ensure your impacted items have accurate Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) codes saved to their product details.
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Go to the Products tab In ShipStation.
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Open Product Details for each impacted SKU.
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Click the Customs tab and enter the correct Harmonization Code (HTS Code) (and an accurate Description).
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Click Save Changes.
If needed, select Apply changes to open orders for orders already in progress.
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Open Order Customs Panel: Per Shipment Action
Open the order detail page for your incoming U.S. shipment. Scroll down to open the Customs Declarations block.
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Input CPSC Reference Identifiers: Compliance Data Entry
In the newly added PGA / CPSC Compliance Data section, select your filing method. If using the recommended Registry method, input your Certifier ID, Product ID, and Version ID.
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Generate the International Label: Data Transmission
Create your shipping label. ShipStation automatically transmits the required electronic message sets to supporting international carriers.
For integrated platforms and warehouse management systems using our API, you must pass the compliance attributes inside the customsItems array when executing POST /shipments/createlabel or POST /orders.
When using the CPSC Product Registry method, your payload fragment should mirror this format:
JSON
"customsItems": [
{
"description": "Children's Cotton Pajama Set",
"quantity": 1,
"value": 24.99,
"harmonizedTariffCode": "6111.20.0000",
"pgaReferenceSet": {
"certifierId": "CPSC-ID-99182",
"productId": "SKU-PAJAMA-RED-S",
"versionId": "2026-V1"
}
}
]
Note for Your Team:
Review your integrated carrier accounts within ShipStation to confirm their individual timelines for digital PGA (Partner Government Agency) transmission ahead of the July 8 deadline.
The July 8 deadline has passed, meaning the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) eFiling requirements are now fully in effect. Importers of regulated consumer products must electronically submit certificate data through the U.S. Customs system (ACE) at the time of entry.
To prevent your shipments from being held at the border, take these immediate steps:
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Verify CPSC Coverage: Confirm which of your active SKUs fall under CPSC jurisdiction using the CPSC's HTS code list.
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Select Your Filing Method: Use the CPSC Product Registry to pre-register high-volume products for a faster, abbreviated reference filing at entry, or ensure you have the Full Certificate Data ready for immediate transmission.
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Coordinate with Your Broker/Carrier: Confirm that your customs broker has your valid CPC or GCC data formatted and ready to transmit upfront with every entry.
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Stay current with CPSC updates. The CPSC has published FAQs, webinars, and technical guidance. It’s worth bookmarking and checking regularly as implementation details continue to be refined.