Welcome to CPSC’s podcast for Friday, April 4th, 2008. I’m Patty Davis.

CPSC recently announced a new effort to stop unsafe products from entering the United States. A big part of the new strategy is the creation of a new import surveillance unit and a greater CPSC presence at the nation’s ports.

Joining me to talk this is CPSC’s Director of Information and Public Affairs Julie Vallese.

Julie, what is behind the new strategy? Why is it necessary?

[Julie]: Really the necessity comes from an increase in product imports. There are more products coming into the United States than ever before. And the agency is really trying to address product safety in a number of ways. One is addressing it at its source, hoping that product safety is built in but then addressing safety at the ports, looking for those products that may be in violation of safety standards and keeping them from getting on the shelves in the first place.

[Patty]: How will the greater presence of CPSC staff at the ports work?

[Julie]: The agency will be putting employees at the ports full time. And really the CPSC will be working side by side with Customs and Border Protection. Customs and Border Protection do have the ultimate authority at the ports. So the agency is really going to be working hand in hand with that federal agency looking for violations, opening the big products, opening the boxes and really looking at the products as they come into the United States.

[Patty]: What do you hope to find?

[Julie]: Well we would hope to find nothing actually, but we know that’s not really reality. What the agency will be looking for is those products that are in violation of mandatory safety standards, looking at products that are in violation of the small parts standard, products that may not meet electronic safety standards, so that we are better able to keep products that have serious violations from ever reaching store shelves.

[Patty]: What else is CPSC doing to deal with the increase in imports to the U.S. and how will it protect consumers from hazardous imported consumer products?

[Julie]: The CPSC is working with all the different stakeholders, the U.S. Congress, industry, and with consumer groups really to reach out and build safety in at the source. We know that products coming into the United States are at an all time high. We don’t anticipate that those products will go down in terms of imports, and so the agency is working with various stakeholders as well as the Chinese government to make sure that safety is first and foremost when you’re manufacturing U.S. products.

[Patty]: Thanks Julie.

You can find out more about CPSC’s new import surveillance efforts as well as information about recalls announced by CPSC at our Web site www.cpsc.gov. While you’re there, sign up to receive CPSC’s recall announcements directly to your email inbox.

That’s it for this week’s CPSC podcast. Thanks for listening.

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