BACM ADDS MICROSOFT, CONTINUES CUSTOMS REFORM MISSION

BACM ADDS MICROSOFT, CONTINUES CUSTOMS REFORM MISSION    The U.S. Business Alliance for Customs Modernization has accepted Microsoft Corp. as its newest member, boosting its ranks to 25 of the country’s leading import companies.
   The group emerged in July 1999 after a handful of importers expressed mutual concern over how Customs audited and rated their import operations. BACM quickly emerged into an all-out effort to reform Customs’ import laws, regulations and policies, and has become a powerful lobbying force for the U.S. import industry on Capitol Hill.
   BACM said it supports “customs reform and modernization resulting in consistent, reasonable and simple customs processes and procedures,” and to reach these goals, “modern account-based processing must augment current import requirements.”
   In addition to Microsoft, BACM membership comprises American Honda, Archer Daniels & Midland, BP, Caterpillar, Compaq, Daimler Chrysler, DuPont, Ford, General Electric, General Motors, Hewlett Packard, J.C. Penney Co., Mattel, Nissan, Nortel Networks, Pillsbury, Sara Lee, Sears, Shell, Sony, Target, The Limited, Toyota and Wal-Mart.
   The membership is expected to cap with Microsoft on board. “BACM believes that in order to remain an effective advocacy alliance and continue to drive the momentum for customs and border clearance reform, the ad-hoc alliance should not exceed 25 major U.S. corporations dedicated to this cause,” said James P. Finnegan, director of international trade and compliance at Sony and chairman of BACM.
'    While these large importers lead the charge for Customs reform, BACM believes that all sizes of importers and government agencies will benefit.
   BACM will hold its first meeting of the year in Los Angeles on Feb. 27 to prepare its agenda for the year and to develop a “strategic plan of action” in support of the Customs Reform Coalition.