|
|
FAST Overview
The Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program
is a Border Accord Initiative between the United States, Mexico,
and Canada designed to
ensure security and safety while enhancing the economic prosperity
of each country. In developing this program, Mexico, Canada
and the United States have agreed to coordinate, to the maximum extent
possible, their commercial processes for clearance of commercial shipments
at the border. FAST promotes free and secure trade by using common
risk-management principles, supply chain security, industry partnership,
and advanced technology to improve the efficiency of screening and
clearing commercial traffic at our shared borders.
Eligibility
for the FAST program requires participants (carrier, drivers, and
importers)
to submit an application, agreement, and security profile
depending on their role in the Customs and Trade Partnership Against
terrorism (C-TPAT) and FAST programs. The FAST program allows known
low risk participants to receive expedited border processing. This
enables U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to re-direct security
efforts and inspections where they are needed most - on commerce that
is high risk, or unknown risk - while ensuring the movement of legitimate,
low-risk commerce.
Benefits of FAST
The FAST program
is voluntary. The benefits for those that apply
and are accepted into the FAST program include:
-
Dedicated
lanes (where available) for greater speed and efficiency in the clearance
of FAST Trans-border shipments;
-
Reduced
number of examinations for continued compliance with Customs FAST requirements
as well secondary priority processing;
-
A
strong and ongoing partnership with the Canadian Partners in
Protection (PIP) and Customs (C-TPAT) administrations;
-
Enhanced
supply chain security and safety while protecting the economic
prosperity of the United States, Mexico, and Canada; and,
-
For
carrier participants, the knowledge that they are transporting shipments
for a C-TPAT approved importer, and on the southern border, a C-TPAT
manufacturer.
Basic Participation
Requirements
FAST is a clearance process for known low-risk shipments, thus, any
truck using FAST lane processing must be a C-TPAT approved carrier,
carrying qualifying goods from a C-TPAT approved importer, and the
driver in the possession of a valid FAST Commercial Driver Registration
ID Card.
-
Importer
Registration: Importers must complete an application for C-TPAT
participation with CBP. Importers authorized to use the FAST program
for clearance into the United States will have a demonstrated history
of complying with all relevant legislative and regulatory requirements,
and will have made a commitment to security enhancing business practices
as required by C-TPAT.
-
Carrier
Registration: Carriers must complete the FAST Highway Carrier
Application Process requirements that include corporate information,
a security profile, and a written Highway Carrier Agreement.
In
order to qualify for FAST Highway Carrier membership into the
U.S. and Canada, two
separate applications must be submitted to each country's
respective FAST Processing Centers. Each country will perform
an independent risk assessment and each country will issue independent
approvals for
participation. For the United States, a FAST approved carrier
will have met all aspects of C-TPAT through the FAST registration
process.
-
Commercial
Driver Application: Drivers must complete a FAST Commercial
Driver Application for the United States and Canada. The application
will first be risk assessed by a Canadian consortium of the Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA),
Citizenship and Immigration Service for Canada (CIC), and Canada's
Agence de Revenu (ARC). Upon approval from Canada, CBP will conduct
a full U.S. based risk assessment. Applicants identified as low
risk will report to an enrollment center where they will be interviewed,
have their original identification and citizenship documents reviewed,
fingerprinted and have a digital photo taken. Low-risk applicants
will then be issued a FAST Commercial Driver Card.
FAST
Processing Availability
The initial
phase of FAST processing for U.S. bound commercial shipments began
in December
2002 at the port of Detroit, Michigan. CBP
has implemented FAST processing at the following northern and southern
border crossings (check the CBP
website for updates):
Northern
Border
Future FAST expansion sites will include:
Northern Border
Sault Ste Marie, Michigan
International Falls, Minnesota
Cargo Release Method(s)
The two cargo release methods for FAST eligible shipments are the
Free and Secure Trade system formerly known as the National Customs
Automated Prototype (NCAP), additionally the Pre-Arrival Processing
System (PAPS) is also recognized as eligible method of cargo release
processing for FAST.
-
FAST: FAST
is the first fully electronic and completely paperless cargo release
mechanism put into place by CBP. Paperless processing is achieved
through advanced electronic data transmissions and transponder technology. FAST
is highly automated and allows for the expedited release of highly
compliant cargo from major importers, reducing congestion at our land
borders.
-
Pre
Arrival Processing System (PAPS) -The Pre-Arrival Processing
System (PAPS) is a ACS (Automated Commercial System) border cargo
release system that utilizes barcode technology to expedite the release
of commercial shipments while still processing each shipment through
Border Cargo Selectivity (BCS) and the Automated Targeting System
(ATS).
Each PAPS
shipment requires a unique barcode label, which the carrier attaches
to the
invoice and the truck manifest while the merchandise
is still in Canada or Mexico. The barcode consists of the Standard
Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC) and Pro-Bill number or entry number. The
licensed U.S. Customs broker in the United States must indicate this
sequencing of SCAC code and unique number (Pro Bill, Entry number or
unique set of numbers) in the BCS entry in ACS. Upon the truck's arrival
at the border, the CBP officer scans the barcode, which automatically
retrieves the entry information from ACS. If no examination is required,
the CBP officer then releases the truck from primary reducing the carrier's
wait time and easing congestion at the U.S. border.
Additional Information
In addition
to the FAST information found on this CBP web site, see FAST information
on the Canada
Border Security Agency web site or U.S.
Customs and Border Protection website.
|
|
