The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is about to change the rules of importing. Starting July 8, 2026, all regulated consumer products entering the United States must have their safety certificates electronically filed in the ACE system — before the shipment arrives at the port.

This isn't a recommendation. It's a mandate.

What's Changing?

Until now, importers could keep their Children's Product Certificates (CPC) and General Certificates of Conformity (GCC) "on file" — meaning in a folder, on a hard drive, or in an email somewhere. If Customs asked, you'd dig it up.

That era is over.

Starting July 8, the specific data points from your lab reports must be electronically filed as a PGA Message Set in the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) ACE system. Not the PDF — the actual structured data.

Who's Affected?

If you import any of these products into the US, you need to eFile:

• Children's products (under 12): toys, clothing, furniture, accessories
• Adult apparel: yes, even adult cotton t-shirts (more on this below)
• Electronics with button/coin batteries
• Power tools and household equipment
• Mattresses, carpets, upholstered furniture

If your product has an HTS code that maps to a CPSC-regulated category, you're affected.

The "Adult Cotton" Trap

This is the #1 misconception killing small apparel brands.

Many founders think: "I only sell adult cotton t-shirts. I don't need a certificate."

Wrong. While plain-surface cotton fabrics over 2.6 oz/sq yd are exempt from flammability testing (per 16 CFR 1610.1(d)(1)), they are not exempt from filing. You still need a GCC, and you still need to "Disclaim" in the ACE system.

If you don't file the disclaimer, your shipment gets a Warning Message from CPSC. That Warning spikes your Risk Score, which means every future shipment gets pulled for manual inspection. For a small brand, that means 14-day holds and unexpected warehouse fees during peak season.

The 7 Mandatory Data Elements

Every eFiling must include these 7 data points (the "PGA Message Set"):

1. Product Identifier — GTIN, UPC, SKU, or model number
2. Manufacturer/Importer Name — your legal business name
3. Date of Manufacture — when the product was made
4. Place of Manufacture — country and facility
5. Date of Testing — when the lab tested it
6. Testing Laboratory — CPSC-accredited lab name and ID
7. Contact for Records — name, email, phone of the person maintaining compliance files

If any of these are missing, the filing is incomplete and your shipment is at risk.

What Happens If You Don't Comply?

The CPSC has stated they'll issue Warning Messages initially rather than full rejections. But don't let that comfort you:

• Warning Messages spike your company's Risk Score
• Higher Risk Score = more manual inspections
• Manual inspections = 14-day holds + warehouse fees
• Repeated non-compliance = civil penalties up to $120,000 per violation
• Worst case: goods seized and destroyed

How to Prepare (The 60-Day Checklist)

You have roughly 90 days from today. Here's what to do:

Week 1-2: Gather your lab reports. Find every CPC and GCC you have. Check if they contain all 7 data elements.

Week 3-4: Talk to your customs broker. Ask: "Are you set up to receive electronic PGA Message Sets for CPSC products?" If they say "what?", you need a new broker — or a tool that formats the data for them.

Week 5-6: Run a test filing. Don't wait until July 4th inventory is on the water to find out your data doesn't work.

Week 7-8: Automate. For any brand importing more than 10 SKUs, manual filing is unsustainable. You need a system that takes your lab data and pushes it to ACE automatically.

The Bottom Line

July 8 isn't the start of something new. It's the end of the grace period. The data requirements already existed — the only thing changing is that "having it on file" is no longer enough. You must electronically file it or face the consequences.

The good news: if you start today, you have time.

The bad news: most of your competitors haven't started.

ClearPort AI helps small brands comply with US CPSC and EU DPP requirements in under 10 minutes. Run a free compliance audit to see where you stand.