Highlights of CBP's January 2005 Trade Symposium (Part II)
On January 12-14, 2005, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) held its annual Trade Symposium in Washington, DC.
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This is Part II of a multi-part series of summaries on CBP's Trade Symposium and provides highlights of various points or issues raised by CBP. See ITT's Online Archives or 10/22/04 news, 04102210, for BP summary on CBP's announcement of its January 2005 Trade Symposium.)
CBP expected to publish regulations to require mechanical seals in next several months. CBP is in the process of developing regulations to require the use of high-security mechanical seals on maritime in-bound containers. Sources state that this rulemaking is now in the economic impact analysis stage and that CBP expects to publish a proposed rule in the next several months.
C-TPAT members are 4 times less likely to undergo trade compliance exams, etc. According to CBP and press sources, C-TPAT members are six times less likely to undergo security exams and four times less likely to undergo trade compliance exams.
CBP to provide individual C-TPAT members with benefits statements. CBP sources stated that CBP would be providing benefits statements to individual C-TPAT members to indicate the benefits that they have received as a C-TPAT member.
New trade hotline telephone number for reporting high-risk cargo. During one of the panel discussions, CBP officials announced the availability of a new trade hotline telephone number (866-324-9169) for reporting high-risk cargo. CBP officials noted that notification of the local port is still the best way to contact CBP regarding high-risk cargo, but that CBP has provided the hotline as an alternative (when contacting the local port is not possible).
Canada is in the process of creating its own targeting center. CBP officials also stated that the National Targeting Center (NTC), which currently uses over 1,000 "rules" to determine what cargo is "high risk," includes representatives from numerous U.S. government agencies and selected foreign governments. CBP officials also noted that Canada is in the process of creating its own "NTC."
CBP will be making a few design changes to ACE Web Portal. CBP officials also announced that they would be making a few design changes in the ACE Web Portal.
CBP has sufficient funding, etc. to keep ACS going while ACE is being developed. When questioned about whether CBP has sufficient resources to keep the Automated Commercial System (ACS) operational while ACE is being developed, given the fact that ACE deployment continues to be delayed, CBP sources assured the trade community that CBP has sufficient funding and the right staffing, equipment, etc. levels to continue to service ACS.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 01/27/05 news, 05012710, for Part I of this series of summaries.)