The Environmental Protection Agency reported recently that it is “dramatically expanding its imports investigative capacity and enforcement scope beyond the limited efforts of previous years, launching broader investigations” to address “the growing threat of illegal pesticides, toxic chemicals, and other polluting products.” An EPA press release suggested that these efforts will particularly target “Chinese manufacturers and criminal cartels [that] have increasingly exploited regulatory and enforcement gaps” to smuggle such goods into the U.S.
According to an EPA press release, during a recent visit to southern California newly-confirmed Assistant Administrator Jeffrey Hall, who oversees the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, discussed with officials from U.S. Customs and Border Protection how the two agencies can continue working together on illegal and dangerous imports. This includes efforts to advance further sharing of information critical to inspection, enforcement, and coordination to hold violators accountable.
The EPA said its increased efforts led to the blocking of more than 200,000 pounds of illegal pesticide imports at U.S. ports in 2025.
More information on the federal statute that regulates the registration, distribution, sale, and use of pesticides in the U.S. can be found here.
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