Sen. Portman to Introduce Bill to Require Advance Customs Data on Postal Packages
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, plans to introduce legislation that would require shipments from foreign countries through the U.S. postal system to provide advance electronic data about packages before they cross into the U.S., Portman said in a statement (here). "That…
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includes information like who and where it is coming from; who it’s going to, where it is going, and what’s in it," the statement said. The bill will aim to block illegal package shipments, with the ultimate goal of stopping exports of fentanyl and carfentanil, from reaching drug traffickers in the U.S., the office said. National governmental mail couriers, rather than private express shippers, often traffic the drugs into the U.S. from countries including China and Mexico, primary sources of illicitly produced fentanyl and carfentanil, Portman’s office said. “Unlike packages entering the U.S. through private carriers – such as UPS or FedEx – the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) does not receive advance electronic customs data for the vast majority of mail entering the U.S. through foreign postal services,” Portman’s office said. “Because the U.S. Postal System does not have these types of sophisticated screening procedures in place, right now it’s often too difficult to detect these drugs before it’s too late.”