On Thursday June 10th, Jeremy Page of Page Fura, P.C. keynoted the World Trade Center Kansas City (WTC-KC) and the Greater Kansas City Foreign Trade Zone (GKCFTZ) co-sponsored virtual event, Customs & Border Protection's 21st Century Framework.

During the event he discussed the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) April 2015 Vision and Strategy 2020 and how it shaped the new “21st Century Customs Framework” or “21CCF”. This reimagined framework reflects the CBP’s vision for the future of trade management and enforcement.

The five key pillars of the CBP’s “21st Century Customs Framework” are: (1) Enhancing Facilitation & Security, (2) Defining Customs & Trade Responsibilities, (3) Ensuring Seamless Data Sharing & Access, (4) Employing Intelligent Enforcement, and (5) Protecting & Enhancing Customs Infrastructure. As the CBP works to achieve these goals, they are seeking out and utilizing state of the art technology and modernized objectives to do so.

By first addressing the effects on trade – digitization, centralization, and globalization – the CBP can better position itself to support the aforementioned pillars. The first effect, digitization, does not equal automation, rather a strategic investment in IT/IS resources. The second effect, centralization, requires communication and caution; CBP seeks to find a balance between protection of our nation’s borders and facilitating trade. The last effect, globalization, will require common terms and a focus on data sharing with U.S. trading partners.

All these ideas converge on one theme, that U.S. Customs and Border Protection is changing quickly to adapt to an agile global trade environment. Organizations need to be aware of these movements and be prepared for change. Understanding is key, and senior leadership needs to be open and aware of how these changes affect them.