09/17/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/17/2024 07:41
September 17, 2024 | Blog Post
Last week, the Biden-Harris Administration announced new actions to protect consumers and address the significant abuse of the de minimis exemption. CFA has been calling attention to the product safety risks associated with the rapid increase of e-commerce, including that purchases valued under $800 can be imported into the U.S. and sent directly to the consumer with very little information for authorities to interdict dangerous or violative products. The Administration's actions are a step in the right direction for consumer safety.
In a letter early last week, 126 House Democrats called on President Bident to use executive authority to scrap the de minimis loophole. Other countries are also grappling with similar de minimis challenges. The European Commission has proposed eliminating the current threshold under which items can be bought duty free.
We applaud the Administration's announcement, but there is more work to ensure consumer safety, especially in the context of e-commerce and online platforms. First, the Administration's announcement underscores the need for a legislative solution to the de minimis issue. Second, the safety issues associated with e-commerce highlight the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) critical work and its need for adequate funding. Specifically, there are notable examples of the CPSC and Custom and Border Protection's efforts to seize products that violate federal safety standards, including 1,500 noncompliant children's toys in New York and over 2,200 noncompliant baby/children products in Los Angeles. Yet budgetary constraints will impact CPSC's work in the future. Funding that expanded port surveillance and inspections will be exhausted next year. Third, more must be done to ensure online platform accountability. Currently, foreign manufacturers or third party-sellers often disappear after CPSC contract regarding a hazardous product. Not only is the dynamic unfair for reputable sellers, but consumers have almost no means for recourse.
CFA will continue to push for safe consumer products. Next month, Courtney Griffin, CFA's Director of Consumer Product Safety, will participate in the International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization's International Symposium, held in conjunction with the European Commission's International Product Safety Week. Courtney will lead a panel representing consumer groups and industry to discuss product safety and online platforms. This past summer, Courtney participated in a forum with U.S and E.U. consumer groups about unsafe and illegal products through direct imports as part of the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue.
CFA also will continue to call on lawmakers to empower the CPSC's vital safety work and ensure consumer safety in the following ways: