From July 8, 2026, every CPSC-regulated consumer product entering the U.S. must transmit Certificate-of-Compliance data through CBP's ACE system at entry. "Certificate available on request" is over. Without the data, the shipment doesn't clear.
Importers kept Certificates of Compliance with the goods or on file; CPSC could request them after the fact. Inspectors spot-checked. Plenty of gray-zone slack.
Importer or broker must transmit CoC data through ACE using CPSC's PGA message set — before the goods can be released. Both General CoC (GCC) and Children's Product Certificate (CPC) are in scope.
Specific data fields vary slightly by product type — confirm against the latest CPSC PGA spec — but these seven are the spine of every CoC eFiling.
Product identifier / SKU — the unique reference the certificate covers.
Laboratory name, report number, test date — proof the product was tested.
Specific standards / regulations the product was certified against.
Identifying details for the manufacturer and the U.S. importer.
The entity that holds and signs the certificate — manufacturer, importer or private labeler.
Lab contact info and CPSC accreditation status (required for children's products).
URLs / hashes pointing to the electronic test report — strongly recommended for speed of review.
Use CPSC's Regulatory Robot to flag which of your current and planned SKUs need CPSC certification. Children's products carry stricter CPC obligations than General CoC.
Verify with your test lab that current reports include every required field. Certificates must be issued by an eligible party (manufacturer, importer or private labeler).
Pre-load certificate data into the CPSC Product Registry — the ACE filing can then reference the registry ID (a shorter message set), speeding clearance.
Confirm your U.S. customs broker is ready to transmit the CPSC PGA message set in ACE. Pick a broker with documented CPSC eFiling experience — not all are.
Build a per-SKU evidence file (test report, certificate, change log) you can produce on demand, in any audit, going forward.
Lab tests can take weeks. Aim to be fully ready by mid-June 2026 at the latest — Prime Day inventory cuts it too close otherwise.
CPSC moves from spot-checking products to screening every entry's compliance data. AI flags high-risk shipments at the moment of filing.
Without a complete CoC filing, the system blocks release. Expect port detention, storage charges and Prime-Day FBA disruption for sellers who aren't ready.
Testing, certification, data-management and broker coordination all rise. The flip side: compliant sellers see fewer holds and faster release — a meaningful edge.
Children's-product certificates require third-party CPSC-accredited lab testing and stricter recordkeeping than general CoCs. Highest-risk vertical for missed prep.
The CPSC mandate pushes importer-of-record compliance from "nice to have" to "release-blocker". Cube-Age's Houston hub runs an in-house compliance team that can act as IOR for CPSC eFiling, pre-load the CPSC Product Registry, and brief a CPSC-experienced broker — turning a deadline into a clearance edge instead of a Prime-Day disaster.
Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) official rule; U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) ACE / PGA documentation. Industry explainer via Heading Customs Cat. Confirm latest requirements against the CPSC official bulletin.