CBP Provides Overview of Trade Compliance Measurement Program
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted a notice providing an overview of its Trade Compliance Measurement (TCM)1 program, which CBP has relied on to provide an objective status of trade compliance and certain CBP controls since 1995.
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(This program is a primary method by which CBP measures risk in the areas of trade compliance, and revenue collection.)
Measures Trade's Compliance, Effectiveness of CBP Controls/Revenue Collection
TCM is intended to provide an indication of how compliant the importer universe is based on a random sample and statistical weighting of all import transactions. It is also a key performance indicator used to determine if CBP's internal controls are operating effectively as they pertain to ensuring compliance with laws and regulations and collecting revenue.
(Among other things, CBP uses a stratified random sampling methodology based on security risk, workload characteristics, and past compliant history.)
TCM Program Ensures Compliance w/Annual Report, Congressional Measures
Data generated from the TCM program is used to meet the requirement under the Customs Modernization Act that CBP provide an annual report on the status of trade compliance.
It is also used to help CBP fulfill some of its responsibilities under the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), to provide Congress with accurate measures of work performed, the cost of that work, and the benefit to the public, as well as monitoring of CBP trade partners' informed compliance activities via the Account Management program.
1Also termed Compliance Measurement (CM)
(See ITT's Online Archives or 04/08/08 news, 08040840, for BP summary of CBP previously providing an overview of the CM program.
See ITT's Online Archives or 01/24/08 news, 08012420, for BP summary of a DHS OIG report on CBP financial controls, with links to previous parts, which cover certain CMP weaknesses, etc.)
TCM program overview (dated 01/21/10) available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/trade_programs/trade_compliance/compliance_measure.xml