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  4. Baltimore CBP Doesn’t Brush Off Excessive Lead Threats to Children

Baltimore CBP Doesn’t Brush Off Excessive Lead Threats to Children

Release Date
Fri, 07/19/2019

BALTIMORE — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized 790 children’s hair brushes from China Wednesday that contained about 25 times more lead content than allowed by United Sates law.

CBP officers seized childrens folding hair brushes that contained excessive levels of lead.
These children's folding hair brushes
contained excessive levels of lead.

CBP officers inspected the shipment, which was manifested as “hat, gloves, hookah,” on May 22 and discovered children’s folding hair brushes accessorized with a mirror. Officers detained the shipment so that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) can conduct a product chemical analysis.

CPSC advised CBP on June 21 that samples of the brushes contained excessive lead levels, specifically exceeding 2,500 parts per million. With a few limited exceptions, all children's products manufactured in or imported into the United States must not contain more than 100 parts per million of total lead content in accessible parts.

CBP officers then submitted the brushes to CBP’s Consumer Products and Mass Merchandising Centers for Excellence and Expertise, the agency’s trade experts, for an appraisal. That appraisal determined that the brushes had a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $5,522.

The shipment was destined to an address in Windsor Mill, Maryland. The brushes will be destroyed.

“As any parent knows, young children have a tendency of putting their toys and accessories in their mouths, and so some children would likely get very ill from these hair brushes that contained a dangerously excessive amount of lead had Customs and Border Protection not seized them,” said Casey Durst, CBP’s Director of the Baltimore Field Office. “Intercepting dangerous consumer products at our Ports of Entry is a CBP trade enforcement priority, and we remain committed to working with CBSP and other partners to ensure the health and safety of American consumers.”

CBP seized 790 children's hair brushes with excessive levels of lead.You can read more about the law in section 101 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) and in section 2(q)(1) of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act.

CBP officers screen travelers and cargo both arriving and departing the United States for outstanding arrest warrants, narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, prohibited agriculture, and other illicit products to assure that global tourism and commerce remains safe and strong. See what CBP accomplished during a typical day in 2018.

CBP's border security mission is led at ports of entry by CBP officers from the Office of Field Operations.  Please visit CBP Ports of Entry to learn more about how CBP’s Office of Field Operations secures our nation’s borders.

Learn more about CBP at CBP.gov.

Last Modified: Feb 03, 2021