CBP Updates COAC on Container Seal Proposed Rule, HSPD-13, Draft Strategic Plan, Etc
The Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Related Functions (COAC) held its quarterly meeting on May 5, 2005 in Washington, DC during which U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials provided an update on various Customs-related issues.
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This is Part II, the final part of a two-part series of summaries on the May 5, 2005 COAC meeting and focuses on CBP's upcoming container seal proposed rule, Homeland Security Presidential Directive on maritime security policy, CBP's draft strategic plan, and the dissolution of COAC's infrastructure subcommittee. (See ITT's Online Archives or 05/09/05 news, 05050905, for Part I.)
Container seal proposed rule, etc. CBP officials provided COAC with an update on its effort to develop regulations to require the use of high-security mechanical seals on maritime in-bound containers. Sources note that CBP has drafted the regulation and completed its regulatory impact analysis and that the rulemaking is currently undergoing DHS review. CBP officials noted that there will be a proposed rule with a comment period which will be followed by a final rule.
CBP officials also stated that they are close to implementing a process for seal replacement by CBP (when CBP breaks the seal), possibly by the end of summer 2005.
Homeland Security Presidential Directive on Maritime Security Policy. CBP sources state that they are continuing to work on the development of the plans and subplans required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 13 (HSPD-13), which are due to the President in June 2005. According to CBP officials, additional details on these plans and recommendations will be available to the trade community during their subsequent rollout.
(On December 21, 2004, the President issued HSPD-13 on Maritime Security Policy. which requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and others to submit various reports and recommendations regarding maritime security policy. See ITT's Online Archives or 04/18/05 news, 05041815, for BP summary of HSPD-13.)
CBP's Draft Strategic Plan. CBP officials told COAC that it received numerous comments in response to the release of its fiscal year (FY) 2005-2010 draft strategic plan. (CBP released its draft strategic plan to over 100 trade associations in March 2005.) CBP officials stated that the comments received from the trade community will be incorporated into the final strategic plan, which could be available in a few months.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 03/07/05 news, 05030705, for BP summary on the availability of CBP's draft strategic plan. According to CBP, this draft plan, which is the first developed by CBP since its establishment within DHS, sets out a vision and outlines the specific goals and objectives that CBP must accomplish to successfully carry out its mission of preventing terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the U.S. without stifling the flow of legitimate travel and trade.)
COAC Infrastructure Subcommittee dissolved. COAC voted to dissolve its recently created Infrastructure subcommittee. COAC has instead decided to deal with infrastructure concerns (e.g., setting up the "green lane" for importers with the best supply chain security measures) on an issue-by-issue basis through working groups, rather than through a broader, more formal subcommittee structure.