CBP hires more import specialists

CBP hires more import specialists    U.S. Customs and Border Protection is on track to reach the legally mandated minimum level of 984 import specialists by the end of the calendar year, Assistant Commissioner Jayson Ahern said Thursday.
   After the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, CBP transferred many personnel from trade compliance to security functions to protect against potential cross-border terrorist threats. Congress required CBP in the Homeland Security Act to return to 2002 staffing levels, but the agency has lagged filling the positions in part because of budget constraints. Commissioner Ralph Basham pledged during his confirmation hearings this year to restore staffing levels to their required floor to help importers process their customs entries. The 2007 budget includes more money for trade staff.
   The agency is slowly ratcheting up its trade facilitation capabilities. Ahern told the Commercial Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) that the agency has 926 import specialists on the pay roll. That figure is up from 901 trade experts on board as of Sept. 16, according to information previously provided by a CBP spokeswoman.
   Of the 58 remaining vacancies, CBP has hired 50 people who will begin providing regulatory assistance within the next few weeks once they receive final training and clearances, Ahern said.
   CBP has a pool of 105 candidates to choose from for the other eight vacancies, giving Customs officials backup choices to maintain statutory hiring levels in case of further natural attrition from the ranks, he said.
   Basham, attending a COAC meeting for the first time since taking over the agency five months ago, reiterated his commitment to plug the trade compliance staffing hole.
   “I don’t like breaking the law,” the former Secret Service director said.