The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has pushed back the deadline for requiring Free And Secure Trade (FAST) certification for Border Release Advance Screening and Selectivity (BRASS) shipment drivers at certain border crossings to May 1, 2005. The compliance date had previously been Sunday, Jan. 30.
The Canadian Trucking Alliance and the American Trucking Assns. had lobbied for an extension due to concerns that driver backlogs for FAST registrations would create considerable trade disruptions had the Jan. 30 deadline remained in place.
See Border cargo manifest regs may leave truckers stranded.
“The surge in FAST driver applications has exceeded the capacity of the FAST processing center to process the applications leading to delays and backlogs in the application process,” CBP stated today in a press release. “In addition, there are approximately 15,000 conditionally approved drivers who have not completed the interview process to receive their cards.”
Trucks that arrive to the affected border crossings between Jan. 31 and May 1 with BRASS shipments without a valid FAST card will continue to receive compliance notices, CBP said.
