CPSC eFiling for US imports: GCC and CPC certificates since July 2026

What changed in July 2026

CPSC's final rule of 8 January 2025 revised the 2008 certificate rule and added electronic filing (eFiling) of certificate data with CBP for imported finished products. It applies from 8 July 2026 to CPSC-regulated products that must be certified, and from 8 January 2027 to products entered from a foreign trade zone for consumption or warehousing.

Importers can file all certificate data elements through CBP's ACE as the Full PGA Message Set, or enter the data in CPSC's Product Registry and file a reference ID at entry. For international mail, the data must be in the Product Registry before the shipment arrives. CPSC says the data helps it target non-compliant products and reduce delays for compliant ones.

The 7 required elements of a GCC

• Identification of the product, detailed enough to match only that product
• Citation of each applicable CPSC safety rule, plus any exemption
• Name, full mailing address and phone number of the certifying importer or domestic manufacturer
• Name, mailing address, email and phone number of the person who keeps the test records
• Date (at least month and year) and place of manufacture
• Date(s) and place(s) of testing
• Name, address and phone number of the third-party laboratory, or "N/A" if none was used

Responsibility, copies and exceptions

The importer of record certifies imported products, and a customs broker can name the owner, purchaser or consignee as certifier. Importers may rely on test reports or certifications from manufacturers, but must issue their own certificate and remain legally responsible. Certificates must accompany the product or shipment, a copy goes to each distributor or retailer, and copies are given to CPSC, or CBP for eFiled certificates, on request.

No CPSC message set is needed when the product is outside CPSC's jurisdiction, when no certificate rule applies, when it is a component for further US manufacturing not sold to consumers, or when it is under enforcement discretion.