The latest release from the US CPSC - baby strollers have hidden dangers!

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Mechanical Center of Excellence and Expertise (CEE) conducted a successful bust at the Port of Memphis, seizing $61,000 worth of baby products that were determined to be unsafe for entry due to high levels of lead in paint and choking hazards.

“The CEE, the Port of Memphis, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) worked together to identify and facilitate the seizure of this shipment, a great example of effective enforcement through collaboration,” said Juan J. Porras, CEE Director.

The CEE officers and import specialists at the Port of Memphis seized the strollers following a CPSC seizure request due to high levels of lead in paint and choking hazards. In early July 2024, CEE enforcement team members targeted a shipment bound for Memphis that included luggage carts, metal furniture brackets, and “other” seating.

Upon further inspection of the shipment, Mechanical CEE import specialists and Memphis Port CBP officers identified the items as strollers, swings, and high chairs. Due to known safety risks associated with the infant products, as well as apparent misclassification and misdescription to mask the true nature of the merchandise, CBP referred the shipment to a local CPSC investigator for further on-site inspection.

Preliminary on-site analysis revealed elevated levels of lead in multiple components of the strollers and high chairs, such as the metal frames and seat cushions. Multiple samples were provided to the CPSC for a full range of formal import safety testing.

On September 17, 2024, the CPSC provided a full report to the Memphis CBP and recommended the seizure and destruction of all merchandise in the seized shipment. A total of 1,209 items were seized with a domestic value of $61,161.

The violations included elevated lead content, button battery swallowing hazards, and missing and/or incomplete Children’s Product Certificates. Based on the CPSC’s test results, the CPSC notified the importer and ultimate consignee of non-compliance with mandatory safety requirements and directed corrective actions of seizure and recall of merchandise.

The Laredo Field Office’s Machinery Center of Excellence and Expertise, the central point of contact for consultation and resolution of machinery import issues, became fully operational on April 3, 2016. The Center serves as a single point of processing for all major businesses whose accounts fall under the machinery overview, with merchandise including, but not limited to, tools, machinery and household appliances, electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof, measuring equipment, firearms and ammunition, and water filters, among others.