The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is preparing regulatory proposals that could mandate broader inspections of imports and impose stiffer penalties for those who ignore the safety rules, The New York Times reported Friday.

Importers and manufacturers would have to certify that their products meet regulatory standards, a procedure that demands more inspections before goods are shipped in or placed on store shelves, according to the new rule, drafted by the commission's acting chairwoman Nancy A. Nord.

She said her staff has recently provided briefings to major United States importers and manufacturers as well as consumer advocates.

The commission might also enforce certain voluntary industry standards for items like cigarette lighters and all-terrain vehicles, both of which are connected to consumer injuries and deaths, the report said.

That would give the agency the power to seize products or block their entry into the country, it added. At present, the agency must sometimes wait until products are on the market and then push for a recall.

Discount retailers and Internet-based companies, among others, would also be explicitly prohibited from selling products that have been the subject of a recall.

Nord is also considering supporting an increase in the maximum fine the commission can impose, to as much as 10 million dollars from about 2 million dollars, the report quoted the commission's chief of staff, Quin D. Dodd, as saying.