Consumer Safety Risks Grow With Explosion in E-Commerce, CBP Commissioner Says
As the e-commerce "business model has evolved, so have the potential threats," CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said in a speech at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce during a May 22 event. "There are digital venues that enable the direct shipment of small packages to retailers and consumers eager to find that great deal who instead may receive counterfeit items such as brake pads, air bags, cosmetics or pharmaceuticals." The growth in e-commerce is overwhelming on many levels. One industry member told McAleenan recently that not enough cargo aircraft are being manufactured to keep up with the growing demand over the coming decades, he said. "That growth has placed a strain of CBP's resources at our air, land and sea ports around the country."
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CBP will need to make internal changes, he said. "Our risk management practices can no longer focus on traditional shipping methods," he said. "We must expand those practices to address the extraordinary flow of goods from new unknown and often less experienced importers. CBP will use data analytics and an array of powerful resources at our National Targeting Center and forward deploy to our ports of entry." CBP, along with the Department of Homeland Security, will ask for industry's help in developing technology for detecting small amounts of synthetic opioids, he said. CBP will also develop a "portal containing a database on importers that CBP has vetted and which are trusted," he said. "Think of it as a resource library that will let the public report potential trade violations."