CBP Planning to Add Forced Labor to Priority Trade Issue List, COAC Says

CBP is planning to add forced labor to its list of “Priority Trade Issues,” said the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) Forced Labor Working Group within a set of recommendations released ahead of the March 17 meeting. The agency briefed the working group on “on its intent to proceed with establishing Forced Labor as a Priority Trade Issue,” it said in the recommendations.

CBP describes the PTIs as driving “risk-informed investment of CBP resources and enforcement and facilitation efforts, including the selection of audit candidates, special enforcement operations, outreach, and regulatory initiatives.” There are seven PTIs, including trade agreements, import safety, revenue, and antidumping and countervailing duties.

The COAC group plans to recommend a broader governmental approach on forced labor, it said. “COAC does not believe its role is to advise CBP on internal structuring and prioritization of subject matter topics,” it said. “At the same time, we do believe several factors are critically important to consider to ensure a more holistic U.S. government-wide approach to addressing forced labor.” As part of that approach “CBP should utilize the expert resources of all relevant US government agencies to develop a synchronized strategy as well as engage more extensively in dialogue and priority setting with the trade,” it said.

The group also will suggest that “CBP expand its collaboration and communication with trade sectors/industries, identifying and sharing best practices, including government to industry efforts to minimize forced labor in supply chains,” it said. That issue was previously highlighted by the working group in a white paper last year (see 2007100030).