§ 4317 — Centers Of Excellence And Expertise

(a) The Commissioner shall, in consultation with the appropriate congressional committees and the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee established under section 4316 of this title, develop and implement Centers of Excellence and Expertise throughout U.S. Customs and Border Protection that— (1) enhance the economic competitiveness of the United States by consistently enforcing the laws and regulations of the United States at all ports of entry of the United States and by facilitating the flow of legitimate trade through increasing industry-based knowledge; (2) improve enforcement efforts, including enforcement of priority trade issues described in section 4322 of this title, in specific industry sectors through the application of targeting information from the National Targeting Center under section 4318 of this title and from other means of verification; (3) build upon the expertise of U.S. Customs and Border Protection in particular industry operations, supply chains, and compliance requirements; (4) promote the uniform implementation at each port of entry of the United States of policies and regulations relating to imports; (5) centralize the trade enforcement and trade facilitation efforts of U.S. Customs and Border Protection; (6) formalize an account-based approach to apply, as the Commissioner determines appropriate, to the importation of merchandise into the United States; (7) foster partnerships though the expansion of trade programs and other trusted partner programs; (8) develop applicable performance measurements to meet internal efficiency and effectiveness goals; and (9) whenever feasible, facilitate a more efficient flow of information between Federal agencies. (b) Not later than December 31, 2016, the Commissioner shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report describing— (1) the scope, functions, and structure of each Center of Excellence and Expertise developed and implemented under subsection (a); (2) the effectiveness of each such Center of Excellence and Expertise in improving enforcement efforts, including enforcement of priority trade issues described in section 4322 of this title, and facilitating legitimate trade; (3) the quantitative and qualitative benefits of each such Center of Excellence and Expertise to the trade community, including through fostering partnerships through the expansion of trade programs such as the Importer Self Assessment program and other trusted partner programs; (4) all applicable performance measurements with respect to each such Center of Excellence and Expertise, including performance measures with respect to meeting internal efficiency and effectiveness goals; (5) the performance of each such Center of Excellence and Expertise in increasing the accuracy and completeness of data with respect to international trade and facilitating a more efficient flow of information between Federal agencies; and (6) any planned changes in the number, scope, functions, or any other aspect of the Centers of Excellence and Expertise developed and implemented under subsection (a).