PGAs Should Review CBP Hold Protocol to Improve Processing

Participating Government Agencies (PGAs) should look to CBP's protocol for processing holds and pauses as a way to improve the PGA process, said the Advisory Committee On Commercial Operations (COAC) Trade Facilitation Subcommittee in a list of recommendations based of its first-ever trade survey. Survey respondents said interactions with CBP on holds and pauses was far more favorable than dealing with PGAs. The subcommittee advises the process reviews could be performed through the Centers of Excellence and Expertise (CEEs). The list of recommendations were posted Aug. 10.

(See ITT's Online Archives 12080921 for a summary of the survey. See 12080922 for a list of COAC materials.)

The PGA’s also need to study the current business design of CBP to understand the level of customer service that is now required and seek opportunities to improve their respective current service level. Additionally, using the Centers to aid in the integration of a service model is most beneficial to impact processing times and freight dwell. CBP should also continue to collaborate with COAC to seek ways to improve and measure process and reduce dwell as CEEs expand to different agencies. The subcommittee recommends developing a set of metrics,inclusive of both facilitation and compliance/risk topics, in addition to their distribution cadence and audience, it said.