CBP 'Trade Transformation' Pilots are Safe from Budget Cuts, Says CBP Official
The forced budget cuts of sequestration won't directly affect CBP's numerous pilot programs that are part of its "Trade Transformation" initiative, said Maria Luisa O’Connell, CBP's Senior Advisor for Trade, while speaking on a panel at an American Bar Association conference April 25. Many of the effects of sequestration, including the need for furloughs, remain unclear and the agency is waiting to hear from the White House for further guidance, she said. CBP expects to know more within the month, she said. Agency trade transformation pilots include its Document Image System, the Centers for Excellence and Expertise (CEEs), and Simplified Entry.
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The pilot programs allow CBP to explore efficiencies in processing trade and "we are not stopping the pilots as of today," she said. While the pilots themselves are safe for the time being, the possibility of agency furloughs threatens to reduce personnel resources at CBP, which could impact the number of people working on the pilot programs, she said. CBP has some ability to decide where federal appropriations money is used outside of what was specifically prescribed by legislators (see 13040822).
The continued openings of CEEs are one such initiative that will continue despite the budget cutbacks, she said. The CEEs, are considered a way CBP can process trade better, she said. Three CEEs opened earlier this month and another three are scheduled to open in June (see 13041824). CBP originally expected that personnel furloughs could begin in mid-April and warned of delays in trade processing and its efforts towards the Automated Commercial Environment (see 13030416 and 13022831), but a continuing resolution -- which added about $215 million to the agency’s budget -- allowed CBP to put off furloughs plans (see 13040213).
CBP continues to have weekly conference calls with members of the trade industry and much of the focus since they started the calls has been on the need for CBP to articulate any changes to hours of operations in the field and its expedited handling of C-TPAT member goods, said O'Connell. CBP has also been working to explain that any slowdown of trade processing could also be related to budgetary constraints on other agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency or Food and Drug Administration, said Stephen Hilsen, director of Trade Policy and Agreements at CBP. But so far, that hasn't been a big issue, he said.
CBP has provided technical input to lawmakers regarding customs reauthorization legislation and how budgetary considerations might affect its ability to implement provisions of a bill that is passed into law, said O'Connell. A customs bill was recently introduced in the Senate (see 13032610) and two others were introduced in the House last congress that have served as a starting point for developing reauthorization legislation (see 13030603). -- Tim Warren