U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) extended the compliance date for
implementation of the Free And Secure
Trade (FAST) Card requirement for Border Release Advance Screening and Selectivity (BRASS) shipment drivers to May 1, 2005. The enforcement date, for this component of the Trade Act of 2002 requirements, was scheduled
to begin on January 31, 2005, for the first group of 40 ports.
The BRASS program is an automated system designed to expedite the processing of certain repetitively shipped products. BRASS is a voluntary system
that requires the entry filer to submit an application for participation to Customs identifying required information. Shipper/manufacturers, importers, entry filers and products, in combination, must be approved to
participate in BRASS. Approved participants are assigned a unique identifying code for use in BRASS transactions.
As a temporary accommodation for the Trade Act of 2002, which requires the advance transmission of
electronic cargo information, CBP allowed truck carriers carrying BRASS merchandise to only utilize drivers who are registered under the FAST program and carrying a FAST driver card. To participate in the FAST program,
drivers must undergo a background check and be admissible to the U.S. and Canada. If approved, the driver is issued a FAST driver card which provides such benefits as expedited processing and the use of a dedicated FAST
lane where available.
For BRASS shipments being imported from Mexico, the driver must have in his possession a valid FAST card and be admissible into the United States.
CBP has been conducting an
extensive marketing and outreach since the spring of 2004 informing both carriers and commercial truck drivers of this new requirement. During the months of December 2004 and January 2005, 20,000 FAST commercial driver
applications have been submitted.
The surge in FAST driver applications has exceeded the capacity of the FAST processing center to process the applications leading to delays and backlogs in the application
process. In addition, there are approximately 15,000 conditionally approved drivers that have not completed the interview process to receive their cards. Based on the size of the backlog of applications CBP will delay
the enforcement of this requirement.
The FAST Processing Center and enrollment centers will be provided assistance to eliminate the backlog and process the applications within 90 days. For all affected ports,
CBP will begin enforcement of the FAST card requirement for BRASS shipments on May 1, 2005. The ports of Eastport, Idaho; International Falls and Grand Portage, Minnesota; and Jackman, Maine, continue to be exempted
until publication of a Federal Register Notice.
Trucks that arrive at the affected ports between January 31, 2005, and May 1, 2005, with BRASS shipments and are operated by a driver that does not possess a valid
FAST driver identification card will continue to receive informed compliance notices. |
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