CPSC eFiling Explained: What Amazon Sellers Must Know Before Shipping to the US
Starting July 8, 2026, many CPSC-regulated products entering the United States require electronic filing information during the import process. In this briefing, Cathy Fang breaks down what CPSC eFiling is, which products are affected, and how to file without getting your cargo held at customs.
What CPSC eFiling is
CPSC eFiling means the certificate data behind your Children's Product Certificate (CPC) or General Certificate of Conformity (GCC) must be transmitted electronically to U.S. Customs at the time of entry — not just kept on file. The data travels with the entry, and a mismatch can stop the shipment before it ever reaches your FBA appointment.
Which products are affected
The rule applies to products covered by CPSC regulations — children's products and a long list of consumer goods subject to a mandatory safety standard. If your product needs a CPC or GCC today, assume it needs eFiling data at entry.
The three filing methods
There are three accepted ways to satisfy the requirement, and choosing the right one keeps clearance predictable:
- Exemption Filing — used when the product is not subject to a CPSC safety rule and you declare that exemption at entry.
- Reference Filing — the certificate is registered in advance and the entry points to it by reference, which keeps repeat shipments fast.
- Full Filing — the complete certificate data set is transmitted with the entry itself.
Why your CPSC certificate may not work
The most common failure has nothing to do with product safety: the importer information on the certificate does not match the importer of record on the customs entry. When those two records disagree, the filing is rejected and the freight sits.
If you ship through a partner as importer of record, the certificate has to reflect that reality before the container sails. Confirm importer details, certificate holder and entry data line up as one set — that single check prevents most CPSC holds.
How Linktrans helps
Our in-house customs team reviews CPSC exposure before booking, aligns certificate and importer data, and files with the entry so your goods keep moving from origin through to the FBA warehouse. If you're unsure whether your SKUs are affected, send us the product list and we'll flag the regulated items.
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