National Authority for Trade and Consumer Protection -National Tax and Customs Administration action at the customs border – goal: filtering out dangerous products ordered from online platforms

The National Authority for Trade and Consumer Protection(NATC) and the National Tax and Customs Administration (NTCA) inspected products ordered online from third countries at Liszt Ferenc International Airport. The aim of the joint inspection was to identify products that did not comply with product safety standards. On the day of the operation, the authorities' employees inspected 500 packages, 60 percent of which were found to be dangerous – primarily toys, soft toys, textile products, and battery chargers were found to be unsafe or non-compliant.

Dr. Lilla Német-Weingartner, president of the NATCP, said that "the most important goal is the safety of consumers. That is why we must screen dangerous products at the customs border so that they cannot reach consumers, either directly or through commercial distribution, especially children. A significant proportion of dangerous products are toys with small parts that could cause choking, or technical items that pose a serious risk of electric shock or fire. With the Christmas holidays approaching, the increase in online orders poses an additional risk, which is why coordinated action by the authorities is particularly important during this period. Our inspections cover the widest possible range of products: from the aforementioned toys (such as plastic dolls, projectile toys, and stuffed animals) to textiles and battery chargers, all the way to technical devices. There are product categories where up to 80 percent of goods fail the tests, such as battery chargers and certain technical articles, which makes it clear that targeted actions such as the current one are not one-off interventions, but a necessary part of the daily work of the authorities.

One of the most important pillars of the seven-point consumer protection action plan is to protect Hungarian families from illegal or dangerous products at the border. Hungary is one of the most important gateways to the European Union, so we are responsible for strengthening the safety of not only Hungarian consumers, but also EU consumers. The current action also proves that the cooperation established with the NTCA and government agencies is working and that we are able to take effective action against unsafe products coming from third countries.

Our most important message to consumers is clear: they can count on us. We are there at every point where dangerous products could enter the market – from customs borders to online commerce – and we are working with every means at our disposal to ensure that Hungarian people can buy safe products."

Dr. Kristóf Péter Bakai, Deputy President of Customs and International Affairs at NTCA, emphasized that "our long-standing close cooperation has now reached another milestone. Our common goal remains unchanged: to prevent the influx of illegal and dangerous products. NTCA's task is to filter out anything that could pose a risk from shipments so that counterfeit and dangerous products cannot enter the EU market. Data related to incoming small packages is examined by NTCA's risk analysis system, which selects shipments that require further inspection. These are checked using X-ray equipment and physical inspections. In addition to items selected on the basis of electronic risk analysis, suspicious or randomly selected packages are also inspected by customs officers with the help of service dogs. The NTCA's regular inspections, which focus on certain product groups, further enhance consumer safety. The aim of the on-site operations carried out jointly with the NATCP is to filter out counterfeit or dangerous products at the border. It is important to note that importers and consignees can expect NTCA inspections not only before the release of goods, but also afterwards.