"One Border" COAC Subcommittee to Address Data & Trusted Shippers for PGAs
At the August 18, 2011 COAC meeting, COAC’s “One U.S. Government at the Border” Subcommittee gave an update on its upcoming plans to improve the relationship between CBP and the government agencies that it represents and works with when clearing and examining imported goods.
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First Focus on Repetitive/Redundant Data, Then Trusted Shipper Program
The Subcommittee will be developing a high level document to capture its initial findings, focusing on current practices that lead importers to provide repetitive/redundant data to CBP and participating government agencies (PGAs), and that require the sending of documents in multiple formats (hard copy, fax, email, etc) to the government.
After this document is developed and presented to CBP, the details will be shared with the Border Interagency Council1 (which serves as an Executive Advisory Board to interagency import safety related issues). Then the subcommittee is expected to begin work on documenting a partnership program that can be recognized by CBP and the PGA as a secured trusted shipper.
(The subcommittee was formed in April 2011 to: (i) identify redundancies that might exist with CBP as well as all Participating Government Agencies requests for documents/data; (ii) recommend, if possible, the use of a single document imaging system between trade-CBP-PGAs that might be involved in the import process; and (iii) recommend a partnership program for importers that will be recognized by CBP, as well as all PGAs of a secured or trusted shipper status.)
1BIEC includes 10 chartered members -- Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Consumer Product Safety Commission; Customs and Border Protection; Environmental Protection Agency; Food and Drug Administration; Food Safety Inspection Service; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; and National Marine Fisheries Service.
COAC subcommittee handout available here
CBP discussion of its “One U.S. Government at the Border” initiative available here