Consumer agency is blocked from some import data

WASHINGTON — Despite the growing number of imports, the government’s product safety agency has no access to certain customs information that could help prevent the sale of unsafe products, congressional investigators say.

A report released Friday by the Government Accountability Office, Congress’ investigative arm, looks at the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is responsible for ensuring consumer products don’t pose health or safety risks.

Since 2002, the commission has asked the Customs and Border Protection agency for access to certain information that describes cargo coming into the country, under a 2002 agreement between the entities. That information, called “manifest data,” would provide the commission with information about products in a shipment before it arrives in the U.S.

The report said the information has not been provided because Customs and Border Protection believed it was not specific enough for the consumer agency’s purposes. Seven years later, the agencies have not yet worked out access. The new report says both agencies have work to do to resolve the issue.

“That advanced notice, combined with other data that they have, would help them better identify risks before the products enter the country,” said Philip Curtin, a senior analyst at the GAO. Although the information is not perfect, it would certainly be better than not having it, the congressional investigators said.

In comparison, the Food and Drug Administration receives the advance shipment information from Customs, which enforces regulations for about 45 federal agencies.

The product safety commission has come under pressure in the last few years over the increasing number of recalled lead-tainted products, many from China. From 1998 to 2007, the value of consumer products imported into the U.S. about doubled, according to the investigators. Products from China nearly quadrupled over that time, making up about 42 percent of all imported consumer goods.

But the number of samples that the product safety commission collected for examination at ports of entry has dropped during that period. It collected 1,348 samples in 1999, but only 616 in 2006, 748 in 2007 and 1,170 last year.

Congressional investigators said the commission has few staff at ports and limited analytical and laboratory support. A new law is supposed to increase the number of commission personnel assigned at ports.

But investigators cited delays in implementing new powers given to the commission under the law and said the increased authority can only be effective if it’s used more fully. And they said it’s imperative for the problems in sharing cargo information to be worked.

Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Scott Wolfson, speaking for the product safety commission, said the agency is reviewing the recommendations and “will seek to be responsive.”

On the Net:

GAO report: www.gao.gov/new.items/d09803.pdf