C-TPAT Shipments Still Get Priority During Sequestration, Says CBP; CEEs Still on Schedule
Given delays caused by sequestration funding cuts, CBP will reiterate to the ports its commitment to giving priority to C-TPAT shipments designated for examination, it said in an update to its FAQ on sequestration. The agency is currently working with its NAFTA partners to manage the flow of traffic at land border crossings, with the aim of continuing to offer front-of-the-line priority for its trusted partners in the face of the backlog created by reduced staffing, it said. But despite sequestration, CBP said implementation of the CEEs is currently on schedule. The agency also still hopes to complete ACE within its originally scheduled timeframe.
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CBP said it's still evaluating the impact of the recent Continuing Resolution on its budget. The agency recently postponed furloughs and deauthorization of some overtime for its employees (see 13040213).
Implementation of CEEs Still on Schedule
The FAQ said implementation of the Centers for Excellence and Expertise "is currently on schedule." There are no planned personnel cuts to the CEEs, it said, and CBP is currently staffing the CEEs with additional personnel. Temporary staffing assignments are being finalized until permanent staffing assignments are approved, it said. CBP is set to open in April the CEEs for base metals (Chicago), industrial and manufacturing materials (Buffalo), and machinery (Laredo). CBP said its CEEs for agriculture and prepared products (Miami), apparel, footwear and textiles (San Francisco), and consumer products and mass merchandising (Atlanta) are scheduled for implementation in June.
The agency also hopes to maintain its schedule for the completion of ACE. According to the FAQ, CBP has worked closely with the Department of Homeland Security on a funding strategy that “gets [CBP] a good part of the way towards completing core trade functionality in ACE within approximately three years.”
CBP Automated Broker Interface representatives, which are contract employees, will not be affected by sequestration, the agency said. CBP said no ACE contracts will be affected, although it noted that “contract staff do change from time to time.”
No General Order for Backlogged Release
In response to concerns about shipments being placed in general order because of backlogs at ports of entry, CBP said that landed merchandise not covered by a permit for release can remain at the place of unlading. “Where there is an entry on file for a shipment and the delay is caused by a backlog for examination, the shipment is not eligible for general order,” the agency said.