CBP Posts Updated Document on 'Trade Intelligence' Pilot for Private Sector to Advise CEEs

August 2, 2012 by Tim Warren|Customs

CBP posted a July version of a document explaining plans for Private Sector Intelligence Liaison Offices. The July document largely mirrors the previous version. The Trade Intelligence pilot under development by CBP intends to create a formal process for the trade and domestic industry to provide Centers for Excellence and Expertise and other CBP offices with up-to-the-minute information on (i) industry trends, (ii) issues that may impact CBP processing, enforcement and targeting (IPR, AD/CV and trade preference areas), and (iii) specific allegations of fraud or malfeasance.

3 Industries to be Focus of TI Pilot

CBP said in early May (here) that the TI Pilot aims to cover the following trade industries:

Semiconductor Industry (Under the Electronics CEE)
Pharmaceuticals Industry (Under the Pharmaceutical CEE)
Tube and Pipe Industry (Under HQ OT staff)

Private Sector Intelligence Liaison Offices

The July document explains the operating concept of the TI's Private Sector Intelligence Liaison Office for the trade and domestic industries as:

Two per industry. Two persons per industry with tours of duty of 60-90 days. These individuals would be drawn from the security, customs compliance, and sourcing departments of the importer or association component and domestic industry.

(All necessary firewalls to protect business confidential information would be established and enforced, states CBP.)

In U.S. and overseas. Not co-located with CBP. One representative for the industry would be located stateside; one representative to be located abroad in or near source countries.

"Virtual" interaction. The mode of interaction with CBP would be "virtual" -- phone, e-mail, weekly conference calls.

(See ITT's Online Archives 12051031 for initial summary of TI pilot. See ITT's Online Archives 12030828 for summary stating that CBP was holding a meeting in early 2012 to develop a functional trade intelligence program. A December 2011 meeting had also occurred with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), with attendance by 37 trade associations and business sectors.)