New CBP Task Force to Help Develop Customs Modernization Legislative Package

CBP is embarking “in earnest” on a process to develop a legislative package on a scale not seen since the Customs Modernization Act of 1993, said John Leonard, CBP executive director-trade policy and programs, at the March 17 meeting of the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee. Coming out of the agency’s work on the 21st Century Customs Framework (see 2011120010), the effort will begin with a new task force to provide a transparent “vehicle” to work with the trade community on the details of the legislation.

“We really want this to be our next jump into the future, kind of like we did over 25 years ago with the Customs Mod Act,” Leonard said. “We feel the time is right, and we’re excited to collaborate with the COAC and other partners to move this on up to the Hill and take the next step.” CBP Deputy Commissioner Robert Perez had announced the task force earlier in the meeting. The task force will “refine and advance the legislative package,” Perez said.

The legislation will “remove modernization barriers” and “create a re-imagined entry process,” Leonard said. It will “eliminate outdated requirements and provide sufficient legal flexibility to implement this vision over time,” he said. “By updating our statutory regime in a way that aligns with the realities of modern trade, we’ll be empowered to work together with industry and government to set the stage for this shared success,” Leonard said, adding that CBP will be starting the process “pretty much right away.” The task force takes an approach that puts “the utmost emphasis on being transparent, being collaborative, and absolutely, aggressively pursuing solutions” to bring “trade into the 21st century,” Perez said.