CPSC, CBP kick off import testing program at Long Beach port

CPSC, CBP kick off import testing program at Long Beach port The federal agencies charged with protecting consumers and U.S. borders launched a new import inspection program at the Port of Long Beach Wednesday, targeting unsafe imports.
   U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Acting Chairman Nancy Nord joined U.S. Customs and Border Protection Assistant Commissioner Daniel Baldwin and California Director of Consumer Affairs Carrie Lopez at a port press conference to announce the formation of the new Import Surveillance Division at the CPSC.
   Long Beach, the second-busiest container port in the nation, will be the first port to have a permanent CPSC contingent. Staff will be added to the new division as the program is expanded to other ports. Carol Cave, CPSC's director of field operations, has been named to head up the new division.

Nord

   Nord said the agency, through the development of the Import Surveillance Division, is strengthening its relationship with the CBP, including cooperation between the new inspectors and CBP inspectors and technical experts. The relationship will allow CSPC inspectors to identify, stop, examine and either hold or release U.S. inbound shipments.
   CBP technical staff has already been providing CPSC with facilities and staff to test products under CPSC inspection.
   CPSC is also taking advantage of the CBP import tracking system, the Automated Commercial Environment, or ACE, to help identify possible problem shipments before the shipments even arrive at the dock.
   Nord also said the new division will ramp up the number of shipments tested by the agency and conduct more large-scale surveillance 'blitzes' in cooperation with CBP.
   'With new strategies and growing resources, I am confident that we can prevent the entry of unsafe products into our country, remove those that do find a way in and punish those who willfully disregard the safety of our consumers,' Nord said.
   In 2006, 467 consumer products were recalled for various reasons, including containing hazardous materials such as lead, prone to failures such as treads separating from a tire, contained carcinogenic materials, or otherwise posed a serious health risk to consumers.
   Last year, an average of 28 product per week were recalled for safety issues, about four per day. Sixty percent of all products recalled in 2006 were imported from China and all of the recalled toys during 2007 were made in China.