The Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) convened its fourth public meeting of the 17th term on December 11 in Washington, D.C. Troy A. Miller, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner, addressed attendees with opening remarks.
Miller expressed gratitude to COAC members for their contributions and highlighted progress in several key areas. "Thank you, Felicia. Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the fourth public meeting of the COAC’s 17th term. Thank you all for joining us virtually," he began.
He reported that CBP processed approximately 1.35 billion De Minimis shipments in Fiscal Year 2024, marking a 35% increase from the previous year. To address this growth and associated risks, CBP has established a continuous coordination cell (DC2), headquartered at the New Orleans Field Office. The DC2 aims to provide consistent management of De Minimis shipments across all ports of entry.
In addition to operational updates, Miller mentioned advancements in ACE modernization efforts: "On January 11, CBP will deploy an automated warning message in ACE when alerting filers when a single consignee is expected to exceed the daily De Minimis threshold."
Further addressing trade facilitation challenges, Miller noted ongoing work on two Notices of Proposed Rulemaking: “The Entry of Low-Value Shipments” and another rule excluding goods subject to trade remedies like Section 301 tariffs.
Miller also discussed future goals for modernizing customs systems through initiatives like ACE 2.0 and emphasized collaboration with Congress for necessary statutory changes.
Towards the conclusion of his remarks, Miller announced his retirement after more than three decades with CBP: "After 31 years, I will be retiring from Customs and Border Protection at the end of this month."
CBP remains committed to facilitating legitimate trade while maintaining national security. The agency's mission is supported by over 65,000 personnel dedicated to protecting America’s borders.