CBP Seizes Lead-Contaminated Children’s Shoes at Seattle Waterfront

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) investigators seized a shipment of children’s shoes for containing three times the legal limit of lead.

The shipment of children’s shoes was inspected for containing three times the legal limit of lead. The shipment originated in China, and was destined to a distributor in the Seattle area, said CBP. The shoes are valued at more than $23,000, it said.

The shipment was targeted by CBP staff for an intensive examination, in which samples were taken from the shipment, the agency said. The samples were tested by CPSC, and were found to contain unacceptable levels of lead in violation of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. Laboratory analysis found the shoes contained 300 parts per million (ppm) of lead; the acceptable level is just 100 ppm, CBP said.