E-commerce marketing · Industry brief

Philippine businesses exporting consumer products to the United States must comply with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission's new mandatory e-filing requirement that took effect July 8, 2026, requiring electronic filing of Certificates of Compliance before goods enter the US. According to a FedEx survey, 64 percent of Asia-Pacific businesses exporting consumer goods to the US are not yet operationally ready for the mandate, with only 15 percent fully prepared; non-compliance risks shipment delays, increased inspections, storage costs, and detention or refusal of goods at the US border. The requirement shifts compliance from a back-office function to a prerequisite for market entry, as importers must submit certificate data electronically through US Customs and Border Protection's Automated Commercial Environment at the time of import, with exporters responsible for providing complete, structured, and electronically ready compliance data to their US customers.

A California federal court ruled that Abercrombie & Fitch did not violate the state's Honest Pricing Law by displaying a $7 shipping and handling fee only at checkout rather than in the initial advertised price. The court distinguished between mandatory fees—which must be included in advertised prices under the law—and optional fees, finding that the shipping charge qualified as optional since customers could avoid it by choosing in-store pickup. The District Court for the Northern District of California relied on dictionary definitions and legislative history showing that lawmakers intended the law to target "unavoidable" or "required" charges that consumers cannot reasonably avoid. The plaintiff's separate "bait-and-switch" claim under California Civil Code § 1770(a)(9) was also dismissed, though the dismissal was without prejudice, allowing potential amendment of the complaint.