U.S., Jordan sign customs cooperation agreement

U.S., Jordan sign customs cooperation agreement The U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Jordan’s Customs Department Wednesday signed a customs mutual assistance agreement in Amman, Jordan.
   The agreement is designed to assist the two countries in improving the flow of trade and securing it against terrorism, CBP said in a statement. It is the 54th bilateral agreement made between and other Customs administrations from other countries.
   “It is now critical that Customs agencies around the world share information, not only to improve the flow of trade, but also to secure trade routes,” said CBP commissioner Robert C. Bonner, commenting on the Jordanian agreement.
   The agreement also provides a basis for cooperation and investigation in the areas of commercial fraud, smuggling, export controls, and related security. U.S. domestic laws, and most foreign national laws, do not permit disclosure of much information in the absence of a formal agreement or treaty, CBP said.