CPSC Expanding eFiling Beta Pilot to 2,000 Participants, Extends Pilot Another 3 Years

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is expanding its “beta” pilot for its partner government agency (PGA) message set to 2,000 participants, and also extending the pilot for “up to three years,” or until a final rule implementing CPSC “eFiling” takes effect.

CPSC said it intends in 2024 to “submit for Commission consideration a draft final rule” to require use of its PGA message set to submit consumer product certificate data. “In the interim, CPSC and CBP intend to expand the Beta Pilot test … to allow importers of regulated consumer products and substances to voluntarily participate in the eFiling program,” it said in a notice released June 3.

The pilot had previously been limited to 50 participants, and was set to end in June (see 2404160052).

“The expanded Beta Pilot test provides additional members of the import community more time to gradually prepare for and begin eFiling PGA Message Sets,” CPSC said. It will also allow CPSC to “further scale up the information technology (IT), procedural, and processing requirements of the Product Registry and the Risk Assessment Methodology system (RAM) before the anticipated full implementation,” the notice said.

Under the expanded pilot, filers will still be able to choose whether to file the “full” PGA message set with seven data elements, or to only file a reference number to certificate data stored in CPSC’s product registry.

Eligibility requirements for participation in the expanded pilot include that the applicant must import CPSC-regulated consumer products, file entries and entry summaries in ACE (or has a customs broker that does it on their behalf), and use a software program that has completed ACE certification testing for CPSC’s PGA message set.

Importers that seek to participate should “email their company name, contact information, importer of record number(s), filer code(s), and an explanation of how they satisfy the requirements for participation to the address listed at the beginning of this notice,” CPSC said. “CPSC will notify expanded Beta Pilot test applicants of approval to participate by email and will work with importers to onboard into the Pilot on a first come, first served basis,” the commission said.