Update on CBP’s Plans for Canadian and Mexican Cargo Pre-Inspection Pilots
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted a December 2011 update on its plans for land border cargo pre-inspection pilots in Mexico and Canada. According to its December 2011 update and CBP sources, the parameters of the Port Huron/Sarnia “Cargo Express” pilot are still under discussion, no decision has yet been made on the start date for the FOXCONN campus pilot in San Jeronimo, and Mexico has begun construction at the pre-inspection facility in Tijuana.
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Land Border Pre-Inspection Is Action Item for Canada, Mexico Declarations
Land border cargo pre-inspection was identified as one of the action items under the joint U.S. - Canada Beyond the Border declaration announced in February, 2011and detailed in December 2011 as well as the joint U.S. - Mexico declaration by President Obama and President Calderon in May 2010.
Port Huron/Sarnia “Cargo Express” Pilot Parameters Still Under Discussion
At Port Huron/Sarnia, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and CBP still plan to pursue land border cargo facilitation initiatives that includes U.S. bound “Cargo Express” pilot. According to CBP sources, a decision on the universe of pilot participants (i.e., FAST, C-TPAT, commercial truck shipments, etc.) will not be made until the binational working group is convened to discuss and agree on the pilot’s parameters.
(One trade source notes that this pilot has been a topic of discussion at the port throughout 2011 and resource constraints could impact whether or not the pilot moves forward.)
Target Date for “FOXCONN Campus Pilot” in San Jeronimo Not Yet Known
CBP continues to state that its officers will process C-TPAT and FAST approved shipments of computers manufactured in the FOXCONN campus in San Jeronimo, Mexico. CBP sources state that the target date for the launch of the FOXCONN pilot is undetermined at this point due to ongoing discussions regarding the diplomatic status of each country’s officers in the host country.
(In September 2011, CBP had stated that the target date for this pilot was December 2011.)
Mexico Has Begun Renovation of Pre-Inspection Facility in Tijuana
CBP still plans for its officers to process fresh vegetables shipped under the NARP program1 at a primary booth located in Tijuana, Mexico at the former Pioneer facility. Shipments cleared on primary will proceed directly to an exit control booth in the U.S. through a dedicated entry lane at the Otay Mesa port of entry. Any agriculture shipments requiring mandatory secondary inspection will be inspected in Mexico at this facility. The Government of Mexico has completed the purchase of the facility and construction has begun.
1The National Agriculture Release Program (NARP), which began in 2007, allows high-volume, low-risk fruit and vegetable commodities to qualify for a reduced inspection rate by CBP Agriculture Specialists at U.S. ports of entry. Commodities are subject to periodic analysis to ensure that they continue to meet program requirements over time. NARP press release available here.)
(In October 2010, CBP Commissioner Bersin gave a speech in which he noted that moving some of CBP border processing, including pre-screening and pre-inspection, away from the physical border itself can relieve the congestion that builds the ports of entry. Bersin said that the U.S. needs to push its border out, and with the help of its partners, it would examine establishing secure corridors for the transit of cleared, screened or inspected people and goods. See ITT’s Online Archives 10102910 for BP summary of Bersin speech.
See ITTs Online Archives 11110409 and 11082612 for summaries of the discussion on pre-inspection at the October and August 2011 COAC meetings.)
CBP update on land border pre-inspection available here