Trade Associations Urge Federal Officials to Fill COAC Openings

Thirty-five associations are calling for DHS, CBP and Congress to finalize the selection of those who will be serving in this current term of the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC), as COAC is short on members by 30% and that lack of a full roster is hindering the committee from fulfilling all the work it would like to do, the groups say.

“The COAC roster remains unacceptably unfilled” for the better part of this year, the Aug. 12 letter said. Those signing the letter included the Agriculture Transportation Coalition, the Airforwarders Association, the American Association of Exporters and Importers, the Express Association of America, the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America, and others.

This current two-year term has been missing six regular members and five alternate members, and two meetings have already passed alongside “dozens of recommendations [that] have now been submitted without the benefit of a full COAC,” the groups continued.

“This causes great challenges for the current COAC members, logistical issues for the timing of future COAC terms, and compromises deliberation before a broader set of stakeholders. At a time when we are looking for a more inclusive trade policy, the apparent tolerance of this underrepresentation is unacceptable," they said.

In addition to asking for a completion of the vetting and approval process, the groups also called for government officials to resume “a consistent and timely selection and vetting schedule moving forward so that each COAC term can have a full and complete roster for the limited time they have to conduct their vital work as key representatives of the trade community.”

According to a May 2023 notice in the Federal Register, COAC consists of 20 members.

The letter was addressed to the secretaries of DHS and Treasury, the acting commissioner of CBP, the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee.

Spokespeople for CBP, DHS and Treasury didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.