Lawmakers seek more trade inspectors

Members of a House subcommittee on Tuesday called upon officials from two Homeland Security Department agencies to boost their thinning ranks of trade inspection agents.

The number of such agents at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency fell by more than 17 percent in the past two years, from 276 agents in 2004 to 228 in 2006, said Rep. Sandy Levin, D-Mich. In addition, the number of agents at the Customs and Border Protection bureau's far larger trade inspection division declined by 9 percent during a slightly longer period, from 984 in 2003 to 892 in 2006.

This highlights both agencies' failure to meet requirements in the 2002 Homeland Security Act, Levin said at a hearing of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade. He paraphrased language in the law saying officials "cannot reduce staffing level[s]" at CBP and ICE.

"There's a law mandating levels… that aren't there," Levin told agency officials.

The ICE and CBP witnesses told lawmakers they are working to limit the decline's effect on their respective operations.

"That's unacceptable -- we do need to meet the requirements of the Homeland Security Act," said CBP Commissioner W. Ralph Basham, who took his position last month. He said by the end of this calendar year the agency will restore its trade inspection officer numbers to previous levels.

But ICE Assistant Secretary Julie Myers said her agency's agents are not covered by the act's language. She added that the statistics on ICE trade inspection agents were misleading, because the count showing 276 in 2004 included "improperly classified" agents, resulting in "a spike" in head counts that year.

In 2002 and 2003, Myers said, ICE's trade inspectors numbered around 250. Myers did not say the agency would aim to boost staff levels, but noted, "we are going to do sufficient customs investigations."

Rep. John Tanner, D-Tenn., expressed concern that the fall in agents might slow the implementation of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, which he said already is lagging.

The C-TPAT program offers incentives to importers that take extra steps to secure their cargo as it comes to the United States. In exchange, because companies are safeguarding their cargo beyond the regulatory reach of the American government, it is treated to "front of the line" inspections and reduced examinations.

The only way for an importer to disqualify itself from C-TPAT's benefits is to fail at checkpoints where government officials are ensuring compliance to the program. CBP is in part responsible for validating this portion of customs security.

But Basham testified that the program is indeed moving according to schedule, and will be completed next fiscal year.