West Coast Trade Symposium planned for late May

U.S. Customs says it plans to hold the popular Trade Symposium at a West Coast venue this year.    U.S. Customs and Border Protection plans to hold a regional Trade Symposium on the West Coast at the end of May, agency spokeswoman Jenny Burke said.
   Burke did not provide any details, but said an announcement would be forthcoming soon. CBP likely would only have five or six weeks to promote the event, but Burke said the agency anticipates strong participation because most people would not have to travel far to attend.
   The Trade Symposium is a highly anticipated event for members of the trade community and is usually attended by more than 700 people when held in Washington. The conference is an opportunity for import and export professionals to hear firsthand from CBP leadership about the agency’s latest initiatives, programs and goals in the areas of trade efficiency, enforcement and cargo security. The gathering is also an opportunity for industry members to meet officials and exchange ideas.
   The Trade Symposium is supposed to be an annual conference, but in recent years has been held about every 18 months. In 2012 the conference was postponed because of Superstorm Sandy and it was delayed in October 2013 by the government shutdown over the budget, eventually taking place in March 2014.
   CBP held a West Coast Trade Symposium  in Long Beach for the first, and only, time in May 2012.
   The regular event in Washington will likely take place sometime in the fall, Burke said.
   CBP Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske, responding to a reporter’s question following a speech in Washington, said planning for the Trade Symposium has been complicated by stricter executive branch guidelines on conferences designed to minimize government waste and abuse.