Applications for CPSC e-Filing Pilot Due Oct. 5

The Consumer Product Safety Commission will on Aug. 21 publish the Federal Register notice requesting participants in its pilot on electronic filing of product data through its Partner Government Agency (PGA) Message Set in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) (here). Recruitment for the pilot will run until Oct. 5 or until a maximum of nine participants are accepted, said the notice.

Under the pilot, approved by the commission at an Aug. 12 hearing (see 1508130016), participants will have the option of either filing five data elements for every product at entry, or file a single data element that refers to information on file in a CPSC “data registry.” CPSC had originally planned to require ten data elements from the certificates of compliance that importers must currently maintain on file with the agency, but voted at the hearing to require only five at the suggestion of CPSC Chairman Elliot Kaye.

Requirements to join the e-filing pilot include that the participant must import “regulated” consumer products (i.e., those that require filing of a certificate of compliance) or one of three products on CPSC’s “Substantial Product Hazard list,” and have a history of compliance with CPSC requirements. Each prospective participant must also either self-file or have a broker that files consumption entries and entry summaries in ACE, and must have completed ACE certification testing for the PGA Message Set. Finally, participants must provide feedback on “all aspects of the test as requested by CPSC,” including through participation in the Trade Support Network, and must work with CPSC and CBP to test electronic filing of data using ABI to file either through the PGA Message Set or the data registry. Requests to participate should be sent to efilingpilot@cpsc.gov.

(Federal Register 08/21/15)