More than 2,000 baby products that failed to meet U.S. safety standards for children have been seized at Los Angeles and Long Beach ports, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The items, which were hidden in legitimate cargo, were found in four separate shipments that arrived from China in January and February.
The products, which totaled an estimated value of nearly $80,000, included 216 autism balance chairs, 492 baby changing tables, 1,296 alphabet mystery box toys and 196 children's step stools.
"CBP is committed to preventing the illegal importation of products that violate U.S. safety standards, as they have the potential to cause harm to children, our most vulnerable consumers," CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles Cheryl Davies said.
"This is an exceptional example of our long-standing strategic partnership with CPSC," she added.
Samples of the products were sent to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) compliance investigators, who determined that they violated child safety standards.
The items failed to meet standards for different reasons, such as not having safety certificates and tracking labels and for failing to meet small parts requirements.
"Federal safety standards and certification requirements are in place for children's products because they save lives," said Jim Joholske, director at CPSC's Office of Import Surveillance.
"We appreciate the work of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in helping CPSC stop hazardous products at our nation's ports. This important partnership is crucial to keeping consumers—and our children—safe from harmful products," Joholske added.
In the financial year of 2023, the agency intercepted 344 shipments at the Los Angeles and Long Beach seaports for violating U.S. health and safety regulations, including toys with lead paint that could be ingested, highly inflammable clothing and unsafe power strips.
The ports are pivotal hubs in international commerce, particularly along the trans-Pacific corridors, acting as primary entry and exit points for merchandise to and from the United States.
This is not the first time the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has deemed products from China to be unsafe for children.
Back in March, the department issued a warning to parents about the dangers of children using two particular brands of water bead toys sold by Chinese companies on Amazon.
And in December 2023, CPSC warned customers not to purchase a baby crib bumper being sold on Amazon by a Chinese-based company because of concerns that it posed a suffocation hazard for infants.
The issues have not been restricted to products from China. At the start of April, the CPSC recalled thousands of items of children's clothing from LA-based Lovey & Grink due to a burn hazard.
Uncommon Knowledge
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