Shipping to the US, trade by trade
What the CPSC expects for what you sell, from its own texts, with the date we last checked them.
- ClothingWhether a garment needs a certificate depends on who it is for, and for adults on its fabric.Shipping clothing to the United States
- ToysA toy for children is a children's product: its certificate rests on tests by a laboratory the CPSC has accepted.Shipping toys to the United States
- Baby productsMost baby products have a safety standard of their own, on top of the rules for every children's product.Shipping baby products to the United States
- Fashion jewelryFor children's jewelry the rules are clear. For adult fashion jewelry, we have not found a CPSC text that settles it.Shipping fashion jewelry to the United States
- CandlesFor candles, what matters on CPSC's list is the wick.Shipping candles to the United States
- ElectronicsThe rule most small electronics meet on CPSC's list is the one on button cell and coin batteries.Shipping electronics to the United States
- Sporting goodsFor sporting goods, CPSC's list names bicycles and bicycle helmets; for the rest, check the list against your product.Shipping sporting goods to the United States
Worth reading first
- What the CPSC is, and why it now concerns youNothing about your product changed this year. What changed is when the paperwork has to exist.6 min read
- Why La Poste suspended your parcels to the United StatesThe decision is postal, the cause is American, and the way out is written on the same page as the suspension.7 min read
- Will your parcel really be blocked? What CPSC actually saysThe honest answer has two halves, and most pages only quote the half that suits them.6 min read
- Gifts, samples, second-hand: when eFiling does not applyMarking a sold parcel as a gift is the oldest idea in cross-border selling, and CPSC answered it directly.6 min read
- Selling on Etsy to the United States: what CPSC expectsEtsy does not file for you, and the difference between its two options decides how much work each parcel is.6 min read
- Selling on eBay to the United States: who files whatThe filing is the carrier's job. Producing the data is yours, and nobody else can do it.5 min read
- Selling from your own shop: Shopify, WooCommerce and the restThe rules are the same as on a marketplace. What is different is that nobody will send you a help page about them.6 min read
- Is there a minimum value? Small parcels and the de minimis questionIt is the first thing every seller asks, and the only question on this site with a one-word answer.5 min read
Understanding the rules
- CPSC eFiling, explainedIt is not a new certificate. It is the same certificate, transmitted as data before the goods arrive.
- CPC or GCC: which certificate your product needsThe dividing line is who the product is for, and it decides who may test it.
- Opening your CPSC Product Registry accountIt is where CPSC keeps certificate data, and it is what lets a parcel carry three identifiers instead of a full certificate.
- Disclaim A or Disclaim B: declaring that no certificate appliesSaying nothing is read as missing data. Saying "no rule applies" is a declaration with its own code.
- The Colissimo CPSC annex, field by fieldTwo forms exist: one for products registered with CPSC, one for everything else.
- 22 October 2026: what changes for mail shipmentsThe postal route is the last one to come under the rule. The date is published; the procedure around it is still moving.
When a parcel goes wrong
- La Poste refused my parcel to the United StatesIf the parcel holds clothing, toys, fashion jewelry, electronics or sporting goods, the reason is written in La Poste's help pages.
- Parcel held at US customs: what the texts sayFor a product CPSC regulates, missing information is not read as an exemption.