CBP Plans to Recommend Air Cargo Standards to WCO This Fall, ACAS Rulemaking to Come by End of Year
CBP plans to make recommendations for air cargo standards to the World Customs Organization for the Secure and Facilitate Global Trade (SAFE) framework by this fall, said CBP Deputy Commissioner Thomas Winkowski while speaking at the American Association of Exporters and Importers conference June 17. "We see the international harmonization of future air cargo security standards and guidelines as an absolute priority and its important in a global environment to ensure the security standards won't disrupt the flow of legitimate commerce," he said. The program is held in such high esteem, Japan has asked that the WCO hold back on establishing international air cargo standards until the Air Cargo Advance Screening Pilot (ACAS) pilot has finished, he said.
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The agency is also hoping to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking for ACAS by the end of the calendar year, he said. CBP is now working with the Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations on how it should move forward with the ACAS rulemaking, he said. CBP recently extended the ACAS pilot program (see [13042219]), which has been widely touted as a successful partnership between industry and government. About 82 percent of all in-bound air cargo has been processed through ACAS since the pilot began in 2010, said Winkowski.
Seeking Academia Partnership to Look at CEEs
CBP is also looking for ways to partner with "academia to measure [Center for Excellence and Expertise] effectiveness," said Winkowski. This will provide for an objective analysis of how well the CEEs are doing and help develop a means to measure success within the CEEs, he said. "We have a great story to tell, but we haven't been very effective in telling the story" and using outside professionals will help the agency to "tell a much better story," he said.
The agency is planning to increase the number of Trade Enforcement Centers (TEC), which combine CBP officers and ICE Homeland Security Investigation fraud units, he said. There one TEC now in the Los Angeles area and there's plans to extend the concept to additional field offices to allow for better communication and collaboration, he said.
Leveraging an International Footprint
Winkowski said he's hopeful that CBP's work with the trade on programs such as Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism and Authorized Economic Operator will help improve the efficiency of cargo movement on an international scale. "I believe we can best leverage trade relationships by making use of our international footprint," he said. The WCO is a key piece that CBP will rely on, he said. The agency will continue to seek mutual recognition agreements and help other countries to develop their own cargo security programs, he said. Budget constraints will continue to be an issue for the agency, said Winkowski. "That's the new normal," he said. "As a result, its up to the agency to demonstrate to Congress that it's a "good investment," he said.