CBP Working to Improve Communication on Trade Enforcement Efforts, Says Kerlikowske

CBP and other government agencies are working to continue a trend of increased trade enforcement, said CBP Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske on March 24 while speaking at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Since fiscal year 2011, trade penalty assessments have increased by 140 percent up to $900 million in FY2014, he said. CBP and the new ICE director Sarah Saldaña will work together to increase training and review the processes for targeting counterfeit goods, said Kerlikowske.

It's clear that even more work can be done in the trade enforcement area, said Kerlikowske. CBP is now working with "industry and Congress" to increase the communication of antidumping/countervailing duty enforcement efforts, he said. The agency also needs to do a better job of reviewing its regulations, he said. It's important that industry has the ability to provide input on the regulations even though it's a complex and time-consuming discussion, he said.

CBP is also "working hard to expand" its "international footprint," said Kerlikowske. That effort resulted in the recent preclearance agreement with Canada (see 1503160009), something that about 25 airports around the world have since inquired about, he said. While both the U.S. and Canada will require legislation to implement the preclearance agreement, Kerlikowske expects the U.S. to move a little quicker, he said. Mexico has expressed interest in a preclearance agreement, though such an agreement is "further off," he said. Still, the two countries took an important step in the recently reached mutual recognition arrangement (see 1410200023), he said.