CPSIA - help required from a UK crafter

[Former_Member]

I'm sorry to go over for what all of you is probably old ground. I've just joined Etsy and wanted to clarify my position with regard to CPSIA.

Is my understanding correct. I make personalised bunting and banners, some of which are personalised with children's names and therefore potentially will be used in cildren's bedrooms.

If I lived in the USA I would have to label my children's banners with CPSIA labels, however because I live in the UK, and I am not going to wholesale, I have to adhere to the UK/EU safety laws only.

I have I grasped this?

Any help appreciated

[Former_Member]

IMO you do seem to have the basic grasp on the CPSIA law. The only thing I would add is if you ship your items to the USA the customs clearinghouse CAN detain or destroy the item you are sending as a "hazardous substance" if the correct forms or test results are not included with the shipment. Here's the catch it's not your responsibility to have the item tested and certified to USA standards but the customer who is ordering the item, because the way the law is written is is up to the importer, in this case the person who requested the item shipped to the USA, to make sure all pertinent tests and certifications are preformed and recorded in the proper certificates. According to the CPSC themselves at this time that they do not have enough personel in the custom's houses to check every shipment but they have detain products in 2009 already for failure to have proper documentation (I don't know the size of the shipments detained, just that they reported to Congress that they have destroyed items before they could leave the clearinghouse) so it will be a bit of a gamble to send things to a USA customer without the proper documentation.

[Former_Member]

Thank you for your help

[Former_Member]

Thanks for the information