CPSIA Compliance for US Knitwear
Selling knitwear into the US — especially children's — means meeting CPSIA. Here's what it covers and how proof of compliance actually works.
The CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act) is the US law governing product safety, with its strictest requirements falling on children's products. If any of your knitwear is for children (generally 12 and under), the rules are significantly tighter than for adult apparel.
What it covers
- Lead & phthalate limits in children's products (relevant to trims, prints, coatings more than plain yarn).
- Third-party testing — children's products must be tested by a CPSC-accepted laboratory (this can't be self-declared).
- Children's Product Certificate (CPC) — issued by the importer/brand based on that testing.
- Tracking labels — permanent identifying marks on children's products and packaging.
Adult vs children's
Adult knitwear carries far lighter CPSIA obligations than children's. Flagging early whether a style is children's changes the testing and labelling path entirely, so tell your manufacturer up front.
Don't forget California Prop 65 — a separate state requirement around chemical disclosure that many US retailers expect documentation for.
Our role
We produce to your spec with compliant materials, apply the tracking and care labels you require, and provide manufacturing documentation. For children's CPSIA, the required third-party lab testing is arranged with CPSC-accepted laboratories (the CPC itself is issued by you as the importer). We don't self-certify children's products — by law that testing is independent. Tell us your market and whether the line is children's, and we'll set the path correctly. Ask us.
General overview, not legal advice — confirm specifics with your US compliance partner.
Ready to make it?
Send a tech pack, a reference garment or a brief. We respond within one business day with a capacity check, indicative pricing and a sample timeline — direct with the founder.