BIG SIS STOPS 13,000 'UNSAFE HAIR DRYERS' AT BORDER

Washington Examiner:
by Joel Gehrke
2.15.12

President Obama's border enforcement officials prevented over 13,000 dangerous hair dryers from entering the country, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) trumpeted today.

"U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized thousands of hair dryers recently that were determined to constitute a “substantial product hazard” under U.S. law, for failing to have adequate immersion protection," DHS announced. "The potentially dangerous hair dryers were identified through a nationwide targeting operation by the CBP Import Safety Commercial Targeting and Analysis Center (CTAC)."

CBP seized the hair dryers at the ports of Los Angeles (9,768 hair dryers) and Miami (3,614) because they "lacked shock protection for consumers" in the event of the hair dryers' immersion in water.

Allen Gina, CBP's assistant commissioner for public trade, praised the CPB officers who helped seize the hair dryers. "The concerted targeting efforts of CTAC and the vigilance of CBP officers at our ports of entry will help ensure that products like hair dryers are safe for consumers and that substandard product from overseas does not reach store shelves," he said.