CBP Commissioner Says ACE is Currently on a 10-Year Track Unless There is Additional Funding, Etc
During the Trade Support Network (TSN) Conference on July 1, 2004, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Bonner addressed a variety of issues, including expected delays in completing the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) and recent events at the World Customs Organization (WCO) regarding supply chain security. Highlights of Commissioner Bonner's remarks are provided below:
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ACE is on 10-Year Track Unless There is Additional Funding
Commissioner Bonner stated that although he had wanted to complete the ACE in five years, given current funding levels and the added homeland security and risk management functionality, it does not appear possible. According to Commissioner Bonner, without additional funding, ACE is currently on a 10-year track.
New WCO Initiative Expected to Internationalize C-TPAT and CSI
Commissioner Bonner also informed the TSN Conference that the U.S. recently succeeded in getting the WCO to support a resolution that he expects will lead to internationalizing the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) and the principles of the Container Security Initiative (CSI).
In addition, Commissioner Bonner stated that the resolution adopted by the WCO establishes for the first time a small High Level Strategic Group of committed heads of Customs agencies to draft the WCO initiative or framework and get it approved before the end of 2004 by the WCO Policy Committee.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 07/19/04 news, 04071920, for recent BP summary on the creation of this new WCO group.)
Commissioner Bonner also noted that on a separate track, CBP is working on these same issues with the European Union and its Member States to develop a common and consistent approach to security and facilitation of the integrated global supply chain.
Commissioner Bonner's remarks (dated 07/01/04) available athttp://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/commissioner/speeches_statements/070104_tsn_confer.xml.