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New Report: European Product Recalls Reached Record High In 2024
February 28, 2025, Claims Journal
European product recalls hit a record high of 14,484 events in 2024, surpassing last year’s record 12,503 events, a new report shows. Sedgwick Brand Protection’s 2025 European State of the Nation Recall Index report reviews five product categories and three sub-categories. It says the surge in recalls underscores heightened regulatory scrutiny and evolving safety expectations that manufactures must navigate in today’s complex environment. Looking ahead to 2025, the report predicts recall growth due to increasing regulatory demands across multiple sectors. It advises businesses and those who consult businesses to consider enhanced risk managements strategies and adapting to regulatory shifts to ensure compliance.

Peter Feldman Appoints Brien Lorenze As CPSC Executive Director
February 27, 2025, cpsc.gov
Peter A. Feldman, Acting Chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)  announced the appointment of Brien Lorenze as the Commission’s Executive Director.  Mr. Lorenze most recently served as Senior Advisor in the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.  Prior to that, he was Chief Data Officer for the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, which was created by Congress in 2020 to provide oversight of pandemic relief spending. Mr. Lorenze holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado and a Master of Public Administration from George Washington University.

ICPHSO 2025: State Regulation In Response To Trump’s Push For Federal Deregulation
July 27, 2025, Morrison Foerster
Speakers and presenters broadly (and unsurprisingly) agreed that the new federal administration will significantly impact the consumer product regulatory environment. Of note, President Trump’s 10-to-1 Deregulation Initiative will affect the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and other federal regulation of consumer products. Dramatically expanding the previous “2-for-1” deregulation efforts from President Trump’s first term, the new initiative requires agencies to revoke ten regulations for every new one they implemented. The extent of overall deregulation during President Trump’s first term can be debated, but it indisputably increased state regulatory activity as states rushed to fill the gaps. During a CPSC updates panel at the ICPHSO symposium, CPSC Director of the Office of Import Surveillance, Jim Joholske, highlighted the 10-to-1 Deregulation Initiative as a factor that the Commission will need to navigate.

The Strategic Genius Of Taylor Swift
March & April 2025, Harvard Business Review
At age 35, Taylor Swift has been at the top of the music industry for two decades. Her Eras Tour, which set off a global frenzy, was the highest-grossing tour in history. And while the music business has undergone profound technological and business model disruptions, Swift has managed to thrive throughout all the changes. The secret to Swift’s long-term success, this article argues, can be attributed to four behaviors: Targeting untapped markets; Finding opportunities to create stickiness; Maintaining productive paranoia; and Adapting to radical shifts in platforms. By studying the sophisticated moves she has made, business leaders can draw valuable lessons on innovation, reinvention, and strategic thinking.

Data Analysis: Product Safety Warnings Skyrocket
February 27, 2025, WFSB Eyewitness News 3
Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows just how much online shopping has increased shipments into the country. In 2015, 139 million shipments each with a total value less than $800 entered into the United States. In 2024, there were more than 1.36 billion shipments like that. That’s a 900% increase, and because they are considered “low value goods” they are exempt from many of the security and safety screenings required by customs for more expensive items. Consumer Federation America analyzed safety warnings from the Consumer Product Safety Commission and found they are going up exponentially each year. From 5 safety warnings in 2021 to 12 warnings in 2022. Then there were 39 warnings in 2023, and then 64 warnings in 2024.

UK: OPSS Warning On Dangerous UPP E-Bike Batteries
February 27, 2025, UK.gov
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is warning consumers to stop using dangerous models of UPP batteries in their e-bikes. These batteries have been linked to multiple serious fires. OPSS previously issued a warning about these UPP batteries in January 2024 when it took action to require online marketplaces to stop selling them. These models should not be used as they are dangerous and can cause a serious fire or explosion that spreads rapidly, and which can lead to serious injury or death. The Government advises to only buy safe e-bikes from reputable sellers, only replace parts with products recommended by the manufacturer and seek professional help when converting or repairing an e-bike.

President Trump To Federal Agencies: “I’ve Got This”
February 26, 2025, Genova Burns LLC (JD Supra)
President Trump’s February 18th Executive Order entitled, “Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies,” represents a sweeping effort to consolidate federal executive branch lawmaking power with the President. The Order’s purpose is to “ensure Presidential supervision and control of the entire executive branch.” This Order would extend control explicitly to Independent Regulatory Agencies established by Congress. The list of agencies including the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Agencies that ignore the directive to involve the White House in rulemaking could risk losing appropriations for certain activities. How this process will play out is yet to be determined. The order will likely face legal challenge.

 CPSC: Stop Using Style Life Eleven Baby Loungers Due To Risk Of Serious Injury Or Death From Suffocation, Fall And Entrapment Hazards; No Recall Or Remedy Offered
February 27, 2025, cpsc.govThe Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning consumers to immediately stop using Style Life Eleven baby loungers, because they are advertised as sleep products but create an unsafe and potentially deadly sleep environment. CPSC issued Notices of Violation to the sellers of the baby loungers, including MamaPanda and Bespoke Clothing Valley (Royalbelle) d/b/a Zoomie Kids, but at this time these firms have not agreed to recall these baby loungers or offer a remedy to consumers. 

CPSC: Stop Using Enhomee Tall Fabric Dressers Due To Risk Of Serious Injury Or Death From Tip-Over And Entrapment Hazards; No Recall Or Remedy Offered
February 27, 2025, cpsc.gov
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning consumers to immediately stop using EnHomee tall fabric dressers because they are unstable if they are not anchored to the wall, posing a risk of serious injury or death from tip-over and entrapment hazards. The dressers violate the performance and labeling requirements of the STURDY Act and CPSC’s implementing regulations, which establish a mandatory safety standard to prevent injury or death caused by clothing or storage units tipping over. The CPSC issued a Notice of Violation to the seller, Weibao, of China, doing business as EnHomee-Direct, but the firm has not agreed to recall these clothing storage units or offer a remedy to consumers.

Ohio Man Charged With Smuggling Body Armor From China To Sell To Law Enforcement Customers And The Public
February 26, 2025, Department of Justice
An Ohio businessman has been charged for allegedly smuggling body armor from China and making fake labels to pass the armor off as American-made, government-certified products, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio. Vall Iliev is accused of working with a Chinese broker company to find manufacturers to make cheap knock-offs of Level III and Level IV body armor products and selling them through his company ShotStop Ballistics LLC.  Iliev is charged with conspiracy to smuggle goods, trafficking in counterfeit goods and mail and wire fraud. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, ShotStop used a laser printer to create fraudulent certification labels bearing the trademark of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). The NIJ tested the ShotStop-sold body armor after U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents intercepted a truck that contained more than 200 armor plate at the United States-Canada border in Washington state.

PFAS Uncovered: What You Need To Know About These Lingering (Not Forever) Chemicals
February 27, 2025, Thechemicalengineer.com
The family PFAS are often, but inaccurately, referred to as forever chemicals.But contrast the dictionary definitions of “forever” and “lingering”; forever means permanent, lasting for all future time; lingering means lasting for a long time or being slow to end – a far more fitting nickname for PFAS.