U.S. Customs and CPSC Team Up on Import Safety

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) have apparently agreed to share safety information on imported goods, including foods and pharmaceuticals. The two agencies on April 26, 2010, signed a memorandum of understanding that grants CPSC “the capability to conduct import safety risk assessments and perform targeting work using CBP’s Automated Commercial System.” The new partnership aims to identify potentially dangerous imports before they enter the country, according to a concurrent CBP press release.

The alliance is the latest formed under the auspices of CBP’s Import Safety Commercial Targeting and Analysis Center (CTAC). Established after President Barack Obama’s (D) Food Safety Working Group urged widespread reform, CTAC is an interagency effort that draws on shared resources, analysis and expertise “to protect the American public from harm caused by unsafe imported products.” The new facility is staffed with 30 personnel from CBP, CPSC and other participating agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Food and Drug Administration.