EPA Inspections at Pembina, North Dakota, Land Port Expands National Crackdown on Illegal Imports

DENVER - Last week, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joined U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to conduct inspections of imports coming from Canada and train CBP agents at the Pembina, North Dakota port of entry. This effort represents the first targeted inspection effort at a land port under the Trump Administration's reorientation toward stopping illegal and harmful imports.

EPA is significantly expanding its imports investigative capacity and enforcement presence. In partnership with CBP, EPA inspects cargo at air, land, and seaports of entry throughout the United States. EPA works with CBP to block the importation of illegal chemicals, banned pesticides, and dangerous consumer products that threaten Americans' health, food supply, economic stability and national security.

At land ports like the Pembina port of entry, cargo arrives on trucks, railcars, passenger vehicles and via pipeline. EPA discovered that foreign entities may obscure their cargo's legitimate country-of-origin and route it through Canada in a practice known as transshipment, taking advantage of lower tariffs established under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Inspections at land borders are critical to catching importers attempting to evade scrutiny through transshipments and preventing the importation of products that Canada may allow through.

"With this latest targeted inspection effort at the U.S.-Canada border, EPA is protecting Americans from illegal and harmful products and chemicals that Canada would allow through and strengthening its partnership with CBP to fortify America's longest border," said EPA Assistant Administrator Jeffrey A. Hall for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "This year's inspection push at U.S. ports of entry has resulted in smarter, more coordinated inspection and enforcement efforts and reflects the Trump administration's commitment to ensuring international commerce works for the American people."

"This North Dakota inspection is the first of EPA's 2026 national border enforcement pushes occurring at a land port," said EPA Region 8 Administrator Cyrus Western. "By leveraging our decade-long partnership with Customs and Border Protection at Pembina, we're expanding the types of products the agencies monitor for compliance and helping protect Americans at all points of entry into the U.S."

Building on EPA and CBP inspection efforts over the past year, broader investigations are targeting toxic and polluting chemicals, illegal pesticides and products and materials containing substances that are dangerous to the health of American families. Dangerous consumer products include composite wood with formaldehyde, non-compliant vehicles and engines, plumbing products that may contain lead and more. This multi-statute, multi-sector inspection approach is conducted under the statutory authorities granted to EPA by the following:

• American Innovation and Manufacturing Act

• Clean Air Act

• Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act

• Safe Drinking Water Act

• Toxic Substances Control Act

EPA's national and regional programs work alongside CBP officers and other federal partners to ensure that imported goods comply with environmental statutes before they enter the United States. CBP is partnering with EPA to streamline inspector access and strengthen the identification of products that may pose risks to human health or the environment. This cross-agency partnership enables EPA to make a final compliance determination, enforce the law and protect Americans.