Expanding the Centers of Excellence and Expertise

There is an interesting piece by Tim Warren in yesterday's International Trade Today (subscription required). The article talks about Customs and Border Protection's plans to expand the Centers of Excellence and Expertise concept beyond trusted traders. Currently, trusted traders are importers participating in C-TPAT and ISA. The CEE's are envisioned as covering entire industries regardless of whether individual companies in the industry are trusted traders. To me, that makes a lot of sense and is consistent with calling these Centers of Excellence and Expertise. The issue for CBP will be finding incentives to get importers to participate in ISA and, to a lesser degree, C-TPAT.

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