14 February 2007

 

 

 

            … The Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of Customs and Border Protection on Wednesday held the first quarterly meeting of its 10th biennial session. Members agreed to establish a standing subcommittee to address trade facilitation matters ranging from early entry to compliance with export regulations. Among the first tasks for the new group will be to establish objectives, action plan, and a means of measuring progress.

 

            Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks COAC has played a significant role in developing cargo security regulations, including advance data reporting requirements for shippers and carriers in all modes. Since November, a COAC subcommittee has been working to refine Customs’ requirements for additional data elements known as10+2.

 

            While no one complained about the need to develop supply chain security measures after Sept. 11, some members felt that trade facilitation had been deemphasized. COAC had spent years reacting to what proposals Customs brought up. Instead, the decision to form a facilitation subcommittee was a way for the group to exercise more control over the agenda.

 

            Customs officials appeared to favor the proposal. Commissioner W. Ralph Basham, who chaired Wednesday’s meeting, reaffirmed the idea of a balance between security and facilitation.

 

            At its meeting last November in New York, Customs asked COAC to review the 10+2 data proposal. …

 

            Among COAC’s recommendations were that a single party file the additional data elements, although they would gather contributions from several sources. The importer of record would be responsible for the data, but the importer could designate an agent to file the data.

 

            COAC members also emphasized that the process of filing the data elements be thoroughly tested before Customs proposes formal rules governing them.