WASHINGTON — The Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) held its final public meeting of its 16th term Dec. 13 and unanimously passed 12 recommendations that will help improve U.S. Customs and Border Protection communications and better empower businesses of all sizes to comply with forced labor, withhold release orders, and the Legal Forced Labor Prevention Act. CBP’s Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner Troy A. Miller delivered opening remarks.
“Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to the final COAC public meeting of 2023. Joining us today from CBP are AnneMarie Highsmith, Executive Assistant Commissioner from our Office of Trade, and Susan Thomas, who is actually the Director of Cargo and Conveyance Security in the Office of Field Operations. I would also like to recognize Dan Paisley from the Department of Treasury, Christa Brzozowski, Assistant Secretary for Trade and Economic Security at DHS, and James Mancuso, the Director of Homeland Security Investigations’ Intellectual Property Rights Center.
“I would like to update you on some items today, but before we do that, I would like to acknowledge that this is our last public meeting of the 16th term of COAC. I want to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing committee members for their work and their commitment. I want to acknowledge Barry Baxter, Christopher Everley, Jose Gonzalez, Vicente Herrera, Amy Smith, Jody Swentik, John Van Wallaghen, Erika Vidal-Faulkenberry, Brian White, and Kathy Wilkins. Your dedication and contributions to the committee have been outstanding. Your insights and expertise have played a pivotal role in providing recommendations to improve customs operations. Your passion for our respective industry sectors and commitment to facilitating smooth cross border trade have not only impacted the committee’s work, but have left a lasting imprint on the broader trade community.
“Service on the COAC is public service. It requires tremendous work and open minds. Our goal is to safeguard the national and economic security of the United States and facilitate the vital flow of goods across our borders.
“The recommendation from this committee, along with the comments we receive from the public during these quarterly meetings, are vital to these efforts. The transparency governed by the Federal Advisory Committee process enables us to learn from diverse perspectives and expertise, and we sincerely appreciate your work. That said, I’d like to highlight some of the committee’s work over the last term:
- COAC has advised CBP on improving our communications to better empower businesses of all sizes to comply with forced labor, withhold release orders, and the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.
- COAC also provided recommendations on the integration of forced labor requirements into CTPAT (Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism).
- COAC’s input around the launch of new broker modernization regulations, including the transition to the national permit framework and the reduction of continuing education requirements, as well as continued support for the Electronic Administration of Customs Brokers License Exams have been instrumental.
“During this term, the De Minimis Working Group was created and is operating under the Secure Trade Lanes Subcommittee. Through this new working group, and in coordination with COAC, we are committed to working with industry to identify effective solutions to disrupt global fentanyl supply chains while expediting legitimate trade. Fentanyl has contributed to more than 100,000 overdose deaths in the United States over the last two years, and far too many of us have friends, family members and colleagues who have been affected. We know that a common pathway for fentanyl precursor chemicals and pill presses to get into the hands of transnational criminal organizations is through small package shipments, especially in air cargo. In fiscal year 2023, CBP cleared over 1 billion de minimis shipments. While screening these shipments is incredibly challenging, CBP will continue to work with the COAC to achieve our dual mission of facilitating economic growth and trade, while mitigating the risks that come with that growth.
“Now, a quick update on 21 CCF. The final recommendations were presented in June of this year. Since then, we have been working with our colleagues in DHS and other agencies to initiate the interagency process. This process will take some time, but we will keep you updated.
“Going back to the upcoming new term, I want to thank all the members of the trade community who applied to the committee. We appreciate everyone’s interest and commitment. With that being said, we are still in the process of determining membership for the COAC 17th term like prior term’s appointments for the 17th term COAC will be made in two iterations. I look forward to announcing the next group of individuals who will take up the mantle and continue the important work of this committee.
“In closing, I want to thank my co-chair, deputy co-chairs, and the members of the public participating today. We are accomplishing a lot together. There is a lot more to be done. As a reminder, the 2024 Trade Facilitation and Cargo Security Summit will be held on March 26 – 28 at the Philadelphia Marriott downtown in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Registration will be open on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, at noon Eastern time for both in-person and webcast attendance. Space is limited for in-person participation. Also, our next public meeting will take place on March 6 in Charleston, South Carolina.
“Now, I will turn it back over to XD Pulliam to introduce our other speakers.”