CBP Adds New Forced Labor Benefits to CTPAT Trade Compliance Program

CBP is adding three new benefits related to forced labor in its Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism Trade Compliance program, CTPAT Director Manual Garza said in a message to the trade community posted to the CBP website Nov. 18. Effective immediately, CBP will provide “to the greatest extent possible and practical,” front-of-line admissibility review, the ability to hold instead of redeliver goods suspected of forced labor and the ability to move shipments detained under a withhold release order to a bonded facility.

The new benefits follow CBP’s announcement in August of six new forced labor requirements to its CTPAT Trade Compliance program, including risk-based mapping, code of conduct, evidence of implementation, due diligence and training, remediation planning and sharing of best practices (see 2208220040). The new benefits “are provided in exchange for compliance with the recently updated Trade Compliance program forced labor requirements,” CBP said.

The front-of-line admissibility review benefit will give CTPAT Trade Compliance members who have shipments detained due to forced labor priority for review by the relevant CBP Center of Excellence and Expertise, Garza said in the message. “The importer must assert that they are an active member [in the] CTPAT Trade Compliance program and request prioritized review at the time that supporting documentation is submitted to CBP,” he said. The Center will then process the package above non-CTPAT Trade Compliance member packages received by the Center team or division.

In another benefit, CTPAT Trade Compliance members who have shipments arrive at their facility that are later determined to have ties to forced labor also will be able to hold the shipment intact at their facility, instead of redelivering the merchandise, until an admissibility determination is made or an inspection is required. Members who have a shipment detained by CBP due to a withhold release order also will be allowed to move the goods to a bonded facility to be held intact until a CBP admissibility determination is made, Garza said.