The Department of Homeland Security has released final rules which will allow U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to collect cargo information necessary to identify high-risk shipments which could threaten the safety and security of the United States. The final rules for cargo security address the timeline of presentation for electronic advance manifest information.

    “We need to take advantage of every opportunity to make our country safe from terrorists and terrorist weapons,” said Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. “Advance information is a cornerstone in our efforts to secure our nation’s borders and ensure the flow of trade. The security measures resulting from these rules are necessary to achieve these twin goals.”

    U.S. Customs and Border Protection will process advance cargo information into an automated targeting system linked to various law enforcement and commercial databases. This initial step will enable CBP to efficiently identify shipments that pose a potential risk. Previously most non-maritime inbound shipments entered the United States without being screened by an automated targeting system. As a result, most cargo shipments could not be assessed for risk prior to arrival. The Trade Act provides the Department of Homeland Security with the authority to eliminate antiquated, paper-driven processes for cargo crossing our borders.

    “When we are able to obtain better information prior to a shipment’s arrival, we will be able to do a more effective job in combating terrorism,” said Asa Hutchinson, undersecretary for Border and Transportation Security. “These rules will do just that.”

    “This takes us beyond the maritime 24-Hour Rule to incorporate advance electronic information for all cargo shipments to the U.S., pertaining to commercial trucking, air freight and rail. It is a bold but necessary move to better secure our borders against the terrorist threat without delaying the flow of legitimate trade,” said CBP Commissioner Robert C. Bonner.

    U.S. Customs and Border Protection received significant input from the trade community and the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA). CBP carefully considered and in many cases adopted the trades’ recommendations. CBP will work closely with the trade community to phase in these rules over the coming months.

    The following are the timelines for all modes of transportation:

Inbound:

    •Air & Courier – Four hours prior to arrival in the United States, or wheels up from certain nearby areas.

    •Rail - Two hours prior to arrival at a U.S. port of entry.

    •Vessel - 24 hours prior to lading at foreign port.

    •Truck - Free And Secure Trade (FAST): 30 minutes prior to arrival in the United States; non-FAST: one hour prior to arrival in the United States.

Outbound:

    •Air & Courier - Two hours prior to scheduled departure from the United States.

    •Rail – Two hours prior to the arrival of the train at the border.

    •Vessel - 24 hours prior to departure from the U.S. port where cargo is laden.

    •Truck - One hour prior to the arrival of the truck at the border.

Web portal

    CBP has also officially adopted a new web portal designed to provide easy-to-use access to consolidated border processing information. The portal is expected to increase import and export efficiency while enhancing border security. After completing a successful four-month pilot test, the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Secure Data Portal is currently available to an initial 41 importers and the CBP officers who support their accounts. Access to the portal will be expanded during 2004.

    The ACE Secure Data Portal, essentially a customized computer screen similar to a web-site home page, provides a single, centralized on-line access point to connect CBP and the trade community. The portal will also eventually provide access to participating government agencies.  with trade and border enforcement responsibilities.

    Through the development of collaborative tools such as the portal, ACE will provide unprecedented integration of data and communication abilities among CBP, the trade community, and other government agencies.

    ACE enables information to be viewed more efficiently through newly established accounts, which consolidate information from each trader. Before ACE, CBP was limited to transaction-by-transaction processing at the border and tracking by hundreds of individual importer numbers for each transaction. The ACE provides an account management system that will speed up the trade process and make it easier to track and record activities. In addition, advance data will be captured electronically and processed through sophisticated risk analysis tools. The analysis will generate information that will help CBP quickly identify and confirm potential violations of U.S. laws.

    The Automated Commercial Environment is part of a long-term, enterprise-wide initiative to modernize CBP business processes and the technology that supports them. This modernization effort will allow CBP to enhance border security while speeding the flow of increasing volumes of legitimate trade in the most cost-effective manner possible.

SENTRI lanes

    Frequent border crossers who use the SENTRI dedicated commuter lanes at the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa border stations are enjoying expanded hours of operation due to the growing popularity of the program, announced Adele Fasano, director of field operations in San Diego for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

    SENTRI, an acronym for Secure Electronic Network for Traveler’s Rapid Inspection, is a program for pre-screened low risk travelers entering the United States in pre-approved vehicles. First implemented at the Otay Mesa border station in 1995, SENTRI membership in San Diego now exceeds 45,000 cross border participants.

    Two dedicated lanes at the San Ysidro border station recently were opened daily from 4 a.m. to midnight, offering a weekly increase of 23 hours over the variable daily schedule it replaced.

    Operating hours for the single dedicated lane at the Otay Mesa border station expanded to 5 a.m. until 8 p.m., an increase of 10 hours on weekends. The new hours apply to holidays as well.

    “The SENTRI program has been a major success in San Diego,” Fasano said. “At the request of the traveling community, we are expanding the hours of operation to provide better service. The popularity of this program is a win for us because we have certified these travelers as low risk and can focus our resources on other, higher-risk travelers. It’s also a win for the community because it allows significantly quicker entry into the U.S.”

    Hours of operation at the SENTRI enrollment center at the Otay Mesa port remain unchanged. Applicants with questions, appointments and enrollment applications can visit the office from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends.