U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Buffalo have seized a large shipment of hearing aid batteries that did not meet federal safety standards.
Officials say nearly 350,000 batteries were seized on March 26 at the Peace Bridge warehouse after they were found to be noncompliant with child safety packaging requirements.
According to CBP, officers first inspected the commercial shipment on Feb. 9 and detained it for further review. A sample of the batteries was then sent to investigators with the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The agency determined the products violated Reese’s Law, which requires secure, child-resistant compartments for products containing button cell or coin batteries to reduce the risk of ingestion injuries.
Following that determination, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recommended the shipment be seized.
CBP officials estimate the value of the seized batteries at approximately $100,000 and say the action prevented potentially hazardous products from entering the U.S. marketplace.
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