PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Philadelphia seized a noncompliant wheeled backhoe tractor on Wednesday that was being shipped from China to a residence in Burlington County, N.J.
CBP officers inspected and detained the tractor on February 1 and requested additional product and import documentation from the import broker.
CBP officers and an EPA compliance officer inspected the tractor on February 11. The EPA compliance officer determined that the tractor’s engine was not certified by the EPA for use in the United States.
The EPA provided a determination letter to CBP on February 28 that the tractor violated the Clean Air Act and recommended that CBP seize the tractor.
The Clean Air Act prohibits importation into the United States of any motor vehicle, motor vehicle engine, nonroad engine and equipment that does not conform to the EPA emission standards and requirements. These standards apply to all vehicles and engines including imported motor vehicles, heavy-duty engines, nonroad engines, and recreational vehicles, whether they are new or used, or manufactured domestically or abroad.
CBP’s trade experts at the Automotive and Aerospace Center of Excellence and Expertise assessed the tractor at $7,679. CBP officers seized the tractor on Wednesday.
“The internet marketplace and global supply systems have made it easier for consumers to purchase products from foreign markets. Even though products like this tractor are easier to buy, consumers must still exercise their due diligence and ensure that the product they intend to purchase complies with all applicable U.S. safety and import laws,” said Cleatus P. Hunt, Jr., CBP’s Area Port Director for the Area Port of Philadelphia.
Consumers considering overseas purchases of vehicles or engines should read EPA’s importation guidance and NHTSA’s rules governing the lawful importation of vehicles. NTHSA also offers answers to some common vehicle importing questions and concerns.
CBP’s border security mission is led at our nation’s Ports of Entry by CBP officers and agriculture specialists from the Office of Field Operations. CBP screens international travelers and cargo and searches for illicit narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture, invasive weeds and pests, and other illicit products that could potentially harm the American public, U.S. businesses, and our nation’s safety and economic vitality.
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