see also: in September 2006 News Releases:   CBP Seized Heroin Onboard Mayaguez Ferry   The Dominican Republic to Implement Container Security Initiative and Begin Targeting and Pre-Screening Cargo Destined For U.S.   Bahamas to Implement Container Security Initiative and Begin Targeting and Pre-Screening Cargo Destined for United States   Civil Penalties for Agriculture Import Violations to Increase October 1   CBP Border Patrol Arrests Homicide Suspect in Abilene, Texas   Border Patrol Advanced Training to Move to Charleston, S.C.   National Guard Spots Attempted Vehicle Drive-through ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

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Washington, D.C. – U. S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) today announced the formation of a new office, designed to spearhead its national trade policy, which will consolidate its trade policy, program development, and compliance measurement functions into a single Office of Trade. The Office of Trade, which will embark on its mission on October 15, 2006, will provide greater consistency within CBP with respect to its international trade programs and operations, and further CBP’s ability to facilitate the flow of legitimate trade across U.S. borders while securing U. S. borders and protecting the American economy from unfair trade practices and illicit commercial enterprises. In addition, by consolidating these important functions under one office, CBP’s close working relationship with the trade community – already a hallmark of CBP’s operations and programs – will be even further enhanced.

According to CBP Commissioner Ralph Basham, “ This is a significant event in the evolution of Customs and Border Protection, which has always had the twin goals of preventing terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering our country, while, at the same time, facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. The newly constituted Office of Trade will further reinforce our commitment to the trade component of these goals.”

“The creation of the Office of Trade underscores CBP’s strong conviction that partnerships and outreach are necessary to facilitate legitimate trade and to effectively enforce trade laws” said Commissioner Basham. “By providing the trade with a focal point within CBP, we can better align our resources with the greatest risk while ensuring the fastest possible clearances for compliant trade,” he added.

Currently at Customs and Border Protection, the functions of trade policy and program development are split among three offices within CBP: the Office of Strategic Trade, the Office of Regulations and Rulings, and the Office of Field Operations. The new Office of Trade will consolidate the trade policy, program development, and compliance measurement functions of CBP into one office without creating dual reporting mechanisms or overlapping, redundant management structures that would disrupt the closely interrelated activities of CBP officers and operators processing arriving cargo at U.S. ports of entry.

The Office of Trade will also develop national trade policies and programs that will guide the work done by the CBP officers in ports of entry, but managing and carrying out cargo processing operations on a day-to-day basis will remain the responsibility of CBP’s Assistant Commissioner of the Office of Field Operations, working through his chain of command – the Directors of Field Operations, Port Directors and front line supervisors.

The consolidation and streamlining of CBP's trade functions and the consequent enhancements to CBP's trade missions has been championed by leaders of Congress, most notably Senate Finance Committee Chairman, Charles Grassley (R-IA) who has worked closely with CBP on this concept and, according to Commissioner Basham, “ deserves great credit for moving this forward.”

Commissioner Basham has also announced his selection of Dan Baldwin as the Assistant Commissioner for the new Office of Trade. Mr. Baldwin, currently the Assistant Commissioner of CBP’s Office of Strategic Trade, will assume leadership of the new office upon its establishment. Mr. Baldwin brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in trade matters.

The new office will be responsible for:

• Providing national strategic direction to facilitate legitimate trade while protecting the American economy from unfair trade practices.
• Directing national enforcement responses through effective targeting of goods crossing the border as well as strict, swift punitive actions against companies participating in predatory trade practices.
• Coordinating with international partners to ensure effective enforcement of textile admissibility issues as well as the enforcement of free trade agreement eligibility.
• Cooperating with other U.S. agencies and like-minded foreign governments to achieve effective enforcement of intellectual property rights.
• Maintaining effective internal controls over the revenue process.
• Coordinating with other government agencies and international partners to identify risks to detect and prevent contaminated agricultural or food products from harming the American public or the nation’s economy.
• Promoting trade facilitation and partnership with the importing community and trade associations by streamlining the flow of legitimate shipments and fostering corporate self-governance as a means of achieving compliance with trade laws and regulations.
• Managing a risk-based audit program to respond to allegations of commercial fraud and to conduct corporate reviews of internal controls to ensure importers comply with trade laws and regulations.
• Providing legal tools to promote facilitation and compliance with customs, trade and border security requirements through: the issuance of all CBP regulations, legally binding rulings and decisions, informed compliance publications and structured programs for external CBP training and outreach on international trade laws and CBP regulations.

The effect of this reorganization on CBP employees is expected to be minimal, with minor changes to existing offices, divisions and branches. Most employees will see little or no change, other than a realignment to the new Office. However, while the transition to the new office may be transparent to most, the establishment of the Office of Trade will ensure strong and consistent trade policies and programs that will, in turn, enable CBP to successfully meet the challenges of the future.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control, and protection of our Nation’s borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.