Pre-Inspection Pilot for U.S. Imports of Mexican Agricultural Products Launched

Excerpt from Sandler, Travis, & Rosenberg  |  Thursday, January 14, 2015

The U.S. and Mexico inaugurated a cargo pre-inspection program pilot Jan. 12 at Mesa de Otay, Tijuana, Mexico. Under this pilot CBP officers and agriculture specialists working alongside Mexican Customs officers will pre-inspect low-risk, high-volume agricultural commodities that are part of the Department of Agriculture’s National Agriculture Release Program. CBP states that this initiative aims to improve the flow of trade and reduce border wait times and transaction costs.

Photo Source: www.Depositphotos.com/ronniechua

Photo Source: www.Depositphotos.com/ronniechua

The first cargo pre-inspection program pilot began operations Oct. 15, 2015, at the Laredo International Airport, where officials with the Mexican Tax Authority work with CBP officers to screen air cargo shipments for the automotive, electronics and aerospace industries that are destined to Mexico. The third pilot at San Jeronimo, Chihuahua, Mexico, will focus on the pre-inspection of finished electronics shipped into the United States and is planned for inauguration in mid-2016.