U.S., Canada renew cargo pre-clearance effort

U.S., Canada renew cargo pre-clearance effort    U.S. Customs and Border Protection and its Canadian counterpart are seeking to establish a cargo pre-clearance program that would allow admissibility decisions to be made before rail and truck shipments reach the border, Commissioner Alan Bersin told a Senate panel last Tuesday.
   Asked about delays for commercial motor carriers along the northern border, Bersin said CBP and the Canadian Border Services Agency hope to implement a pilot program for advance cargo release in the near future.
   'The notion is to move our processes into the foreign country so we can avoid lengthening the lines at the arrival port of entry,' Bersin told a reporter following testimony before the Judiciary subcommittee on immigration, refugees and border security.
   Upcoming meetings between Bersin and CBSA President Luc Portelance are scheduled in Washington and Ottawa during which specifics of a pre-inspection program are to be worked out.
   The move is rooted in Bersin's desire to reduce shippers' costs to clear the border with the largest U.S. trading partner and make trade more productive. It also furthers the goals of a recent declaration between U.S. President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper that the two countries will strive to share responsibility for safety, security and disaster recovery at a continental level. The integrated border strategy committed to in February includes joint facilities, programs and operations guided by the principle of risk-management to focus on the greatest threats.

Bersin

   Bersin told the panel that pre-clearance probably is not achievable for all commercial traffic. U.S. officials have previously said that any such border management technique would primarily be designed for low-risk trading companies enrolled in the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism and Canada's Partners in Protection programs.
   Under the programs, importers and their vetted trucking agents that have been certified as having secure supply chains are eligible for reduced inspections and for access to an expedited processing lane.
   Pre-clearance could be set up in many different ways, but essentially would involve checking shipments for trade compliance, safety and security at designated inland facilities or even a commercial distribution center and incorporating safeguards to ensure the cargo was transported without tampering directly to a pre-determined border crossing.
   Last year, the Department of Homeland Security and the Ministry of Public Safety agreed to renew negotiations to set up land pre-clearance facilities for trucks at the Buffalo, N.Y., and Fort Erie, Ontario, border crossing.
   Talks will also focus on an exchange of personnel at CBP's National Targeting Center (NTC) and the National Risk Assessment Center in Canada, Bersin said.
   Representatives from Japan, Mexico and the European Union, soon to be followed by those from Korea and Abu Dhabi, have previously taken sabbaticals at the NTC for cargo near Washington to help identify suspicious shipments for inspection. The goal of the fellowship program is to increase cooperation on cargo security and familiarize customs administrations with using automated systems to make risk-based determinations about what to inspect.
   Foreign customs officials generally reside at CBP's facility for one to two years.
   A permanent presence is not required because the relationships and information-sharing protocols can be maintained through digital communications once the official return to their home country, Bersin said in post-testimony comments.
   The upcoming talks essentially resume work between CBP and CBSA that was put on hold by the recent general election in Canada. ' Eric Kulisch