The Consumer Product Safety Commission is scheduled to vote by August 1, 2011 on a proposed rule that would clarify and correct aspects of CPSC's December 2009 final rule on durable infant/toddler product registration. The 2009 rule requires manufacturers of durable infant or toddler products to: (1) provide with each product a postage-paid consumer registration form; (2) keep records of consumers who register such products; and (3) permanently mark each such product with the manufacturer’s name and contact information, model name, etc.
The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements has issued a notice requesting comments by 11:59 p.m. EST on August 3, 2011 regarding a request to remove or restrict the "commercial availability" designation for certain compacted, plied, ring spun cotton yarns, with yarn counts in the range from 42 to 102 metric, classified under HTS subheadings 5205.42.0020, 5205.43.0020, 5205.44.0020, 5205.46.0020, and 5205.47.00201.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is seeking comments on a petition to require special packaging for torch fuel and lamp oil to make it impossible to see the product when it is in the container, as the liquid may look like a drink to children.
The International Trade Commission has issued its second annual report on the effectiveness of the earned import allowance program (EIAP) for certain apparel in the Dominican Republic. According to the report, it appears that the EIAP provides insufficient incentive to increase production of woven cotton bottoms in the Dominican Republic.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a Federal Register notice formally announcing that the 100 parts per million lead content limit for children’s products will take effect as scheduled, on August 14, 2011. Therefore, all children’s products sold, offered for sale, manufactured for sale, distributed in commerce, or imported for sale in the U.S. must meet the 100 ppm lead content limit beginning August 14, 2011 as statutorily mandated by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, unless otherwise excluded under CPSC regulations or stayed.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission published notice of the following voluntary recall for July 22, 2011:
Commissioners Nord and Northup of the Consumer Product Safety Commission have both posted blogs stating that the CPSC's recent 3-2 vote to go forward with the 100 parts per million lead content limit in children's products starting August 14, 2011 is not in keeping with the President's July Executive Order that called on independent agencies like CPSC to reduce unwarranted regulatory burdens, etc. Northup's statement is available here.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission published notice of the following additional voluntary recall for July 21, 2011:
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a final rule, effective July 22, 2011, which amends its child-resistant packaging requirements to exempt powder formulations of two oral prescription drugs, colesevelam hydrochloride (currently marketed as Welchol®) and sevelamer carbonate (currently marketed as Renvela®), which are indicated to reduce elevated LDL cholesterol levels and improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and for the control of elevated serum phosphorus in chronic kidney disease patients on dialysis, respectively. The rule exempts these prescription drug products on the basis that child-resistant packaging is not needed to protect young children from serious injury or illness.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is scheduled to vote on July 27, 2011 on an enforcement statement on the 100 parts per million lead content limit for children's products, which is set to take effect August 14, 2011. In addition, as previously announced, CPSC will also be voting on a phthalates notice of requirements and a phthalates enforcement policy.