Border Security: CBP Lacks the Data Needed to Assess the FAST Program at U.S. Northern Border Ports
Highlights
The United States and Canada share a border of nearly 5,525 miles. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is responsible for securing the borders while facilitating trade and travel. CBP launched the Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program in 2002 to expedite processing for pre-vetted, low-risk shipments. GAO was requested to assess U.S.-Canadian border delays. This report addresses the following for U.S. northern border land ports of entry: (1) the extent to which wait times data are reliable and reported trends in wait times, (2) any actions CBP has taken to reduce wait times and any challenges that remain, and (3) the extent to which CBP and FAST participants experience the benefits of the FAST program. GAO analyzed CBP information and data on staffing, infrastructure, wait times, training, and the FAST program from 2003 through 2009 to analyze operations. GAO visited six northern border land ports, which were primarily selected based on commercial traffic volume. GAO interviewed importers, trade organizations, and border stakeholders. The results are not generalizable, but provide insights.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| United States Customs and Border Protection | To enhance DHS's ability to assess the effectiveness of the FAST program, the Commissioner of the CBP should develop and meet milestones for completing the enhancement of the ACE database to capture data on the intended benefits of the FAST program. |
We found that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) lacked the data needed to assess whether Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program participants receive program benefits and that, as a result, it is difficult for CBP to determine the extent to which participants experience intended benefits. We recommended that CBP develop and meet milestones for completing the enhancement of the database to capture data on FAST program benefits. In September 2010, CBP set a goal of April 2011 for completing enhancements to its systems that would allow it to collect needed data. CBP met this goal and is now able to collect data on primary and secondary processing times, consistent with the intent of our recommendation.
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| United States Customs and Border Protection | To enhance DHS's ability to assess the effectiveness of the FAST program, the Commissioner of the CBP should, once the database is modified, use the data collected in the ACE database to conduct a study to determine whether the FAST program is achieving its intended benefits. |
We found that the U.S. Custom and Border Protection (CBP) lacked data needed to assess whether participants in its Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program receive certain program benefits, such as shorter primary processing times. While CBP was taking actions to enhance its efforts to collect data through its Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) database, it did not have plans to use the data. As a result, we recommended that once the ACE database was modified, CBP use the data collected to conduct a study determine whether the FAST program is achieving its intended benefits. In May 2015, CBP provided a study that used ACE data from fiscal years 2011 through 2014 to analyze different aspects of the FAST program, including the average wait times for FAST traffic compared to regular traffic and the average primary processing times for FAST participants compared to nonparticipants. CBP found that FAST participants experienced shorter primary processing times but do not always experience shorter wait times. The analysis also identified factors that affect FAST wait times, such as infrastructure and lane management, which better positions CBP to make needed programmatic changes. This analysis is consistent with our recommendation.
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