CBP Discusses Improvements Needed in its In-Bond System
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted to its Web site an October 2007 interview with CBP Assistant Commissioner for Field Operations, Thomas Winkowski. In this interview, the Assistant Commissioner discussed a variety of issues, including partnerships with the trade community, the in-bond system, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service inspections, etc. The following are highlights of the Assistant Commissioner's comments regarding CBP's in-bond system.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
Need to Improve In-Bond Tracking and Interaction with ACS/ACE
According to the Winkowski interview, CBP needs to find a way to improve its tracking of in-bond shipments without standing in the way of commercial reality. CBP also needs to have more connectivity between its in-bond system and the Automated Commercial System (ACS) and the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), noting that CBP has to get out of the mode of dealing with huge amounts of computer-generated paper documents.
Need to Better Control and Reconcile In-Bond Diversions
The Assistant Commissioner also stated that CBP needs to look at diversions (e.g., freight that is supposed to go to Chicago and ends up in Cincinnati because an importer redirects it in transit). Noting that diversions are a commercial reality, the Assistant Commissioner stated that the challenge is how CBP can better control and reconcile diversions at the end.
CBP Developing In-Bond Proposals, to Discuss With Trade Community
In the interview, Winkowski stated that it has a group working on in-bond ideas and proposals, and when they are ready, CBP will sit down with the trade community and begin working with them.
CBP is Preparing a Report for Congress on In-Bond Cargo
The Security and Accountability for Every (SAFE) Port Act of 2006 required CBP to submit a report on in-bond cargo no later than June 30, 2007. In October 2007, CBP testified before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, stating that the report was still undergoing review, was expected to be issued shortly, and would include: (a) a plan for closing in-bond entries at the port of arrival; (b) an assessment of the personnel required to ensure 100% reconciliation of in-bond entries between the port of arrival and the port of destination or exportation; (c) an assessment of the status of investigations of overdue in-bond shipments and an evaluation of the resources required to ensure adequate investigation of overdue in-bond shipments; (d) a plan for tracking in-bond cargo within ACE; (e) an assessment of whether any particular technologies should be required in the transport of in-bond cargo; (f) an assessment of whether ports of arrival should require any additional information regarding shipment of in-bond cargo; (g) an evaluation of the criteria for targeting and examining in-bond cargo; and (h) an assessment of the feasibility of reducing the transit time for in-bond shipments, including an assessment of the impact of such a change on domestic and international trade.
CBP also testified that it is in the process of utilizing the evaluation of in-bond criteria to assist in the creation of a weight set for use in the Automated Targeting System (ATS) to further assist in the identification of potential in-bond diversion cargo shipments.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 10/12/07 news, 07101205, for BP summary of CBP's testimony on its pending in-bond cargo report.
See ITT's Online Archives or 05/22/07 news, 07052205, for BP summary of a Government Accountability Office report on previously identified weaknesses in CBP's in-bond system.)
Assistant Commissioner's interview (posted 11/06/07) available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/highlights/tom_winkowski.xml.