US CUSTOMS officers will work on Chinese soil this year to audit security practices at 100 mainland factories and logistics facilities that provide cargo to the United States.

    While mainland on-site trials were conducted in February, and US Customs runs on-site inspections in many countries, China has refused regular access up till now. As a result, the 400 American companies sourcing 75 per cent of their products from China cannot access customs fast-tracking programmes and must face sluggish x-ray screening.
 

    But now US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced that China's General Administration of Customs has agreed to allow US Customs into the country, acting US Customs Commissioner Charles Stallworth told the recent Trade Symposium in Washington.
 

    The first step of the agreement will allow US Customs to validate the shipping processes of 100 companies in China by the end of the year and conduct another 100 validations next year, reported American Shipper.
 

    Chinese and American customs will sign an action plan on May 9 in Washington to align their trusted shipper programmes so that participating companies will face fewer delays exporting to the US, said Mr Stallworth.

    American importers joining the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism will be eligible for fast track customs clearance if they can show their cargo poses a low risk of being infiltrated.
 

(Source:http://www.schednet.com)