PHILIPPINE businesses exporting consumer products to the United States will need support and guidance to comply with the new US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) e-filing requirement, which took effect last month.
The CPSC e-filing program, which became mandatory on July 8, 2026, requires US importers of regulated consumer products to electronically file Certificates of Compliance (COC) before goods enter the United States.
According to the CPSC, the program is designed to help the agency identify and target high-risk imported products more efficiently while reducing unnecessary inspections and delays for compliant importers.
Previously, importers were required to maintain COCs and present them only upon request. Under the new requirement, certificate data must be submitted electronically at the time of import rather than kept on file.
For businesses, compliance is no longer simply a “back office” function but a prerequisite for market entry. Incomplete or inaccurate filings can result in shipment delays, increased inspections, storage and demurrage costs and the detention or refusal of goods at the US border.
Under the e-filing program, importers of regulated consumer products must submit COC data electronically through the US Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Automated Commercial Environment when filing entry documents. The requirement applies to every regulated shipment, including de minimis consignments.
The rule covers all imported finished consumer products that already require a COC under CPSC regulations, including:
• Children’s products that require a Children’s Product Certificate
• General-use products covered by a General Certificate of Conformity
• Products subject to a mandatory CPSC safety standard, ban, or regulation
Although the legal responsibility for compliance obligation rests with the US importer, much of the information required for e-filing must come from the exporter. Exporters are therefore expected to provide their US customers with complete, structured and electronically ready compliance data before each shipment arrives.
However, international express transportation company Federal Express (FedEx) said most companies in the Asia-Pacific region are not yet prepared to meet the new requirement.
Based on a FedEx survey, 64 percent of Asia-Pacific businesses exporting consumer goods to the US are not yet operationally ready to comply with the CPSC e-filing mandate. Of those, 28 percent said they understand the requirements but have yet to take action, while 18 percent expect significant disruption to their US-bound shipments.
Meanwhile, the remaining 36 percent reported some level of readiness, but only 15 percent said they were fully operational and prepared to comply.
To help ensure compliance, exporters are advised to work closely with their US customers to determine which products are covered by CPSC regulations and to proactively share the required compliance documentation. They should also integrate the exchange of compliance data into their standard shipping processes to minimize the risk of delays ad disruptions. / PHILEXPORT NEWS AND FEATURES
