§4317 Centers of Excellence and Expertise

Summary

The Commissioner must create Centers of Excellence and Expertise across U.S. Customs and Border Protection. These centers must make U.S. trade stronger by enforcing import rules at all ports, helping lawful trade move faster using industry knowledge, improving enforcement in specific industries with targeting information, building CBP know-how about industries and supply chains, making import rules consistent at every port, centralizing trade work, using an account-based import approach when appropriate, growing trusted-partner trade programs, measuring performance, and helping federal agencies share trade information more efficiently. By December 31, 2016, the Commissioner must send a report to the appropriate congressional committees. The report must describe for each center what it does and how it is set up; how well it enforces rules and helps legitimate trade (including priority trade issues); the benefits to the trade community, including programs like the Importer Self-Assessment and other trusted programs; the performance measures and results for efficiency and effectiveness; how it improved trade data accuracy and information sharing with other agencies; and any planned changes to the centers.