Product Safety & Market Access Certifications
Certificate data elements in the Full PGA Message Set
eFiling mandatory for most regulated imports (in effect)
Foreign-Trade Zone entries must comply
Regulation Overview
CPSC eFiling is the requirement to transmit certificate of compliance data electronically to U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the time of entry. The data moves through the CPSC Partner Government Agency (PGA) Message Set in CBP's Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). It applies to most regulated consumer products imported for consumption or warehousing.
CPSC eFiling changes how certificate data is submitted, not which products need a certificate. Since 2008, importers and private labelers have had to hold a Children's Product Certificate (CPC) or a General Certificate of Conformity (GCC) for regulated finished products. eFiling makes that certificate data visible to CBP and CPSC up front, rather than only on request.
Importers file one of two ways. The Full PGA Message Set carries all seven certificate data elements per product in each shipment. The Reference PGA Message Set carries only three identifiers (Certifier ID, Product ID, and Version ID) after the certificate is pre-entered in the optional CPSC Product Registry. Both routes need accurate data from suppliers and testing laboratories.
Importers of record bringing regulated consumer products into the United States
Private labelers that certify finished consumer products
Customs brokers filing entries in ACE on an importer's behalf
Manufacturers and importers that issue Children's Product Certificates (CPCs)
Companies issuing General Certificates of Conformity (GCCs) for regulated general-use products
Suppliers and testing laboratories that provide the underlying certificate data
Key Thresholds
The seven data elements live in different places: the product identifier in your catalog, the safety rules on the certificate, manufacture details with the factory, and test dates with the lab. At entry, a broker needs all of it in one record. Without a centralized compliance data backbone, teams assemble each entry by email and risk filing with gaps.
ACE accepts entries with missing CPSC data, so filing feels fine until it is not. Missing or inconsistent data generates warnings, raises CPSC risk scores, and can lead to holds, exams, or enforcement. Regulatory exposure reduction here means catching gaps before the broker files, not explaining them afterward.
Frequent importers benefit from the Reference Message Set, but only after each certificate is pre-entered and kept current in the Product Registry. One-off shipments may be simpler on the Full Set. Mapping which product uses which path, and keeping Version IDs accurate, is ongoing work that manual tracking struggles to sustain.
Goods withdrawn from a Foreign-Trade Zone for consumption or warehousing must carry certificate data from January 8, 2027. Importers using FTZs now have a fixed window to get certificate data ready for those entries, on top of the filings already running for direct imports.
Certivo In Action
Certivo in Action — CPSC eFiling Workflow
Features Tabs
From Email Threads to One Record
Certivo pulls certificate data from suppliers and labs into a centralized compliance data backbone. Your team manages exceptions instead of assembling each entry by hand.
Validated Before the Broker Files
CORA validates the certificate data elements and flags gaps up front, supporting audit readiness and reducing the regulatory exposure that comes from filing with missing data.
Ready for January 8, 2027
Certivo helps importers get certificate data ready for Foreign-Trade Zone entries before the compliance date, through continuous monitoring and regulatory intelligence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CPSC eFiling mandatory now?
Yes. CPSC eFiling has been mandatory since July 8, 2026 for most regulated consumer products imported for consumption or warehousing. Foreign-Trade Zone entries follow on January 8, 2027. Certivo helps importers keep certificate data validated and entry-ready across both dates through continuous compliance monitoring.
What certificate data must be filed?
The Full PGA Message Set carries seven elements: the product identifier, each applicable CPSC safety rule, the manufacture date, the manufacture place, the testing date, the testing laboratory, and the certifier point of contact. CORA parses supplier certificates and lab reports and validates each element before a broker files.
Does CPSC eFiling apply to low-value (de minimis) shipments?
Yes. There is no de minimis exemption, so Section 321 low-value shipments of regulated products are in scope. Importers still need a valid certificate and the required data at entry. Certivo's certificate validation helps confirm the data is complete regardless of shipment value.
When do Foreign-Trade Zone entries need to comply?
Goods withdrawn from a Foreign-Trade Zone for consumption or warehousing must carry certificate data from January 8, 2027. This is a later date than the July 8, 2026 mandate for direct imports. Certivo helps importers prepare FTZ certificate data ahead of that date.
What is the difference between the Full and Reference message set?
The Full Message Set transmits all seven certificate data elements with every entry. The Reference Message Set transmits three identifiers (Certifier ID, Product ID, and Version ID) after the certificate is pre-entered in the optional CPSC Product Registry. Certivo keeps repeat products registry-ready and tracks Version IDs as certificates change.