Competition Bureau Canada (the Bureau) announced just before Christmas that it is seeking public comments on draft guidelines (the Guidelines) for assessing environmental claims for compliance with Canada’s Competition Act (the Act). The Act was amended in June 2024 by adding two specific provisions to existing general prohibitions for false and misleading representations and unsupported
Product Safety
California Becomes First State to Impose Extended Producer Responsibility on Textiles


California recently became the first state to adopt an extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme for textiles by adopting Senate Bill 707, the Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024 (the RTRA or Act). Specific requirements will become effective in 2026. EPR is a regulatory approach that shifts the burden of recycling and reuse of products away…
CPSC Approves eFiling Rule for Certificates of Compliance


On December 18, 2024, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) approved a final rule to implement electronic filing (eFiling) of certificates of compliance (CoC) for imported consumer products that are subject to a CPSC rule, ban, standard, or regulation (Final Rule). A 24-month effective date will apply to covered consumer products imported into a…
CPSC Extends Comment Period on Expansion of eFiling Beta Pilot Test



On September 10, 2024, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or the Commission) published a notice extending the comment period for its expansion of the eFiling Beta Pilot Test to October 10, 2024. This extension is referred to by CPSC staff in training materials as the “eFiling voluntary stage” to differentiate it from the…
CPSC Proposes New Rule for Button and Coin Cell Batteries in Children’s Toys


On August 13, 2024, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR) in the Federal Register proposing new rules for children’s toys containing button and coin cell batteries. This comes fewer than seven months after CPSC adopted the most recent revisions to the mandatory safety standard for children’s…
FTC Finalizes Rule Against Fake Reviews and Testimonials


On August 14, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC or Commission) announced its Final Trade Regulation Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (Final Rule) to rein in what it believes is the widespread practice of using fake reviews and testimonials to boost sales of products or services. The long-awaited Final Rule was…
CPSC Proposes Significant Changes to Rule Governing Certificates of Compliance


The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Agency) recently published a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SNPR) (88 Fed. Reg. 85760 (December 8, 2023)) to revise the existing rule on Certificates of Compliance (CoC or certificates), 16 CFR § 1110 (Rule 1110). The last time CPSC proposed changes to Rule 1110 was in 2013, when…
Health Canada Steps Up CCCR Labeling Recalls



Manufacturers and distributors of household cleaners and similar chemically-based consumer products sold in Canada should be aware of an uptick in recalls by Health Canada for violations of the labeling requirements of the Consumer Chemicals and Containers Regulations, 2001 (CCCR) under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA). The CCCR establishes detailed product classification criteria…
PFAS in Consumer Products: CPSC Requests Input


Joining a growing number of state and federal agencies, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) is seeking information on uses of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in consumer products. In addition to work it began last year with ASTM International on consumer product standards related to PFAS, the CPSC released a white…
EU Seeks Input on Proposed Digital Product Passport Framework


On March 30, 2022, the European Commission (EC) unveiled a proposal for a framework eco-design regulation aimed at creating a policy framework for sustainable products. Among the tools proposed by the EC is the EU Digital Product Passport (DPP), a product-specific data set that would apply nearly to all non-food products sold in the EU…