| Title: | Expansion of the Centers of Excellence and Expertise |
|---|---|
| Date: | 2012-05-10 |
| To: | abi,acee,acep,acer,air,ocean,rail,truck |
| Links: | previous, original, next |
On Thursday, May 10, 2012, Acting Commissioner David V. Aguilar of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced the expansion of Centers of Excellence and Expertise (Centers) at the West Coast Trade Symposium in Long Beach, CA. CBP will create two new Centers by the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2012. The two new Centers will be the Automotive & Aerospace Center coordinated from Detroit, and the Petroleum, Natural Gas & Minerals Center coordinated from Houston.
These virtual centers will provide one-stop processing to lower the Trade's cost of business, provide greater consistency and predictability, and enhance CBP enforcement efforts. The Centers previously functioned as pilot programs, and continue CBP efforts to increase uniformity of practices across ports of entry, facilitate the timely resolution of trade compliance issues nationwide, and further strengthen critical agency knowledge on key industry practices. The Centers represent CBP's expanded focus on “Trade in the 21st Century,” transforming customs procedures to align with modern business. By having the Centers focus on industry-specific issues, CBP is able to provide tailored support to unique trading environments.
In FY 2013, CBP expects to establish five more Centers, bringing the total number to nine. CBP will collaborate with the trade and key industry stakeholders on the placement of these additional Centers, identifying facilitation opportunities and developing strategies to address risk for each industry. The decision to expand is based on the success of the two current Centers – the Electronics Center coordinated from Long Beach, CA and the Pharmaceuticals, Health & Chemicals Center coordinated from New York City.
Attached is an issue paper with more information about this announcement and an overview of the Centers.