INDUSTRY WORKS WITH WINWOOD DURING U.S. CUSTOMS? TRANSITION

INDUSTRY WORKS WITH WINWOOD DURING U.S. CUSTOMSÆ TRANSITION    Industry leaders reached out to Acting Customs Commissioner Charles Winwood last week as he leads the agency through the transition to a new commissioner.
   “He’s an excellent administrator,” said James P. Finnegan, director of international trade and compliance for Sony Corp., and chairman of the Business Alliance for Customs Modernization. “He has always been a big proponent of quality-based process improvements and we know he will continue to steer the agency in that direction during the interim.”
   Winwood must be careful to keep important trade-related issues, such as import process reform under the Entry Revision Project and development of Customs’ future Automated Commercial Environment, running smoothly during the transition.
   “He has an important role to play during the transition,” said Alan Atkinson, spokesman for the Joint Industry Group. “That’s vital with the new system going forward.”
   It’s expected that the Bush Administration will name its choice for Customs commissioner during the next several months.
   “There will be a new commissioner in due course and we’re keeping an eye on that,” said Jon Kent, Washington representative for the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America. “For now, it’s business as usual.”
   Winwood will address the NCBFAA at the association’s annual conference in San Francisco in early March.