Cargo Pre-Inspection: Mexico and USA

U.S. Customs officers stationed on the Mexican side of the border near San Diego, Calif. will check agriculture products moving by truck under a new cargo pre-inspection pilot program.

According to Eric Kulisch with American Shipper, “U.S. and Mexican Customs officials [first week of January] inaugurated a cargo pre-inspection pilot program in Tijuana, Mexico. Under the program, high-volume, low-risk agriculture products will be inspected prior to crossing the border at the U.S. checkpoint in Otay Mesa, outside San Diego.

Cargo pre-inspection is designed to speed up the flow of trade by inspecting shipments only once by both Customs authorities in the exporting country.

The Otay Mesa pilot is one of three planned pre-inspection programs on the southern border. One is already in place with Mexican Customs officials stationed at the Laredo International Airport in Texas. A third pilot program at San Jeronimo, Chihuahua, Mexico, is planned to start in mid-2016.

American Shipper Magazine previewed the pre-inspection programs, and provided an update on the U.S.-Canada pre-inspection pilots, in the January feature article, “Collaboration on the Southern Border.”

Source: depositphotos.com/artistico

What does Scarbrough think?

“This collaborative effort between Customs authorities of both countries is welcomed.  Agricultural product speed to market is essential.  I’m hopeful they will learn from this pilot and expand the program to other high-volume, low risk products in the future as this could have profound positive effect on the competitiveness of trade between the United States and Mexico.”

— Kevin Ekstrand, VP of Sales and Marketing, Scarbrough International, Ltd.

Scarbrough has its own inspection sites located in Laredo, Texas and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, so the same hands that touch the freight on the U.S. side are also clearing the freight on the Mexican side.  This cuts down on time, expense, and risk for pilferage and damage.  If you want to learn more, please click here.

What are your opinions?

We welcome and encourage your opinions.  What concerns do you have?  What opportunities are you hopeful for?  What do you think of the cargo pre-inspection program?

Please email ktaylor@scarbrough-intl.com.  If we receive enough comments, we will post anonymously in our next newsletter.