Changes May Speed Cargo Processing

The commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection is expected to announce today new security standards that would allow some importers to avoid cargo inspections and gain immediate clearance for their shipments.

Until now, importers who had agreed to the conditions of the federal program known as the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism received expedited processing and fewer cargo inspections than those who weren’t in the program.

About 8,300 importers, domestic port authorities, freight forwarders and consolidators, and some foreign manufacturers have joined the program, which was announced in November 2001.

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which together make up the nation’s busiest port complex, are members.

Although participants in the program have faced shorter delays, shippers, already struggling to keep pace with rising amounts of trade, had begun to express concerns over freight backlogs and related costs.

In an appearance at the Trade Systems Network Conference in Manhattan Beach, Customs Commissioner Robert Bonner is expected to give the details on how program members can avoid inspections altogether.

To qualify for the government’s expedited inspection program, shippers must develop procedures to ensure security throughout their operation, and the measures must be approved by U.S. Customs.

The program applies to ports, airports and other points of entry to the U.S.