MEMPHIS, Tenn. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Machinery Center of Excellence and Expertise (CEE) seized $61,000 in infant products that were determined to be unsafe for entry at the Port of Memphis on Wednesday, Oct. 24.
Machinery CCE team members targeted a shipment set for Memphis with cargo descriptions indicating luggage carts, metal furniture mountings and “other” seats in July 2024, according to a press release. Machinery CEE import specialists along with Port of Memphis Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officers later discovered the shipment contained infants’ strollers, swings and highchairs. Memphis CBP sent the shipment to local Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) investigators for further inspection due to the known safety risks often associated with infants’ products.
A preliminary field analysis found high lead content within various parts of infants’ strollers and highchairs, such as metal frames and seat cushions, according to Memphis CBP. Samples were sent to CPSC for further safety testing.
CPSC provided Memphis CBP with a full report with referral to seize and destroy all merchandise in the detained shipment. In total, 1,209 items valued at $61,161 were seized.
The report found multiple violations, including high lead content, coin cell battery swallow hazards and missing or incomplete children’s product certificates, according to Memphis CBP. The shipment’s importer was notified of the seizure by CPSC for failure to comply with mandatory safety requirements.
“The combined efforts of the Machinery Center, the Port of Memphis, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to identify and advance this shipment toward seizure serves as an illustrative example of effective enforcement through collaboration,” said Director Juan J. Porras, Machinery Center of Excellence and Expertise.
