The CPSIA and Small Business

In August of last year, Congress passed bill HR4040--the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). This bill is aimed at protecting our children from toys containing lead and phthalates and addressing other safety issues. However, parts of this bill will directly effect all small handmade toy makers, designers and store owners in such a way that many may not have the means to continue operating.

The CPSIA now requires all children's products, including natural handmade toys and clothing to be tested by a third party lab, often at a cost of up to $4,000 per item. That could cost a small company more than $20,000 a season. That could easily put many small companies out of business.

The CPSIA simply forgot to exclude the class of children's goods that have earned and kept the public's trust: toys, clothes, and accessories made mainly by small businesses in the US, Canada, and Europe. This must be amended before it's too late.

We strongly urge Congress to amend the current legislation to exclude small businesses from this exorbitant type of testing, similar to the exemptions granted by the FDA for small producers under the food labeling laws.

It is our small businesses that have worked hard to maintain the trust of consumers by ensuring handmade toys, clothing and accessories are safe. It is unfair to punish the businesses who truly are the backbone of our country and who have been committed to producing safe toys and crafts for the consumer.

For more information, visit the Handmade Toy Alliance. You may sign a petition here.

Please help us and our fellow small business owners by contacting your congressmen and requesting them to clarify the CPSIA and exempt small businesses from the third party testing in the US.

Thanks- Wendy and Lori