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CBP Seizes Shipments of Toys from China with High Lead Paint Levels

On February 28, 2012, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Detroit seized a shipment of Chinese-made toys with high lead paint levels at a Centralized Examination Station (CES). Seventeen boxes of toys valued at $3,744 destined for Flint, Michigan were selected for review by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and examined by CBP.

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A similar shipment of toys going to Flint was seized on January 24, 2012. Using this knowledge, CPSC inspectors requested that CBP detain the shipment for examination in Detroit. Samples of the toys were sent to a CPSC lab to specifically test the lead content in the paint. Chemical analysis determined that the lead levels exceeded limits in violation of CPSC regulations. The toys will be held pending re-exportation or destruction.