NCBFAA highlights industry role during DHS Supply Chain Roundtable

The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) emphasized to the Biden Administration during a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)-hosted Supply Chain Roundtable today the vital role that the customs brokers and freight forwarders play in the global supply chain, particularly their expertise ensuring regulatory compliance over commercial U.S. imports and exports.

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas invited NCBFAA to participate in the Supply Chain Roundtable in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 12, from 10-11 a.m. ET. NCBFAA leaders and other trade experts provided DHS leadership their insights to supply chain challenges facing the nation and offered input on how the newly established DHS Supply Chain Resilience Center can focus efforts to best serve the private sector involved in international trade.

“I express our association’s gratitude on being invited to collaborate with DHS on this high-level discussion regarding supply chain interruptions and how to better secure our supply chains,” said NCBFAA President Jose D. (JD) Gonzalez. “Critical infrastructure fundamentals are necessary to stay competitive in a 21st Century economy, and the development of the Supply Chain Resilience Center, as well as reaching out to the private sector via this meeting with Secretary Mayorkas, reflects the willingness of DHS to bring government and industry together to coordinate and address these challenges.”

“I applaud the Administration’s initiative in the multi-department effort to minimize supply chain interruptions and create the Supply Chain Resilience Center,” said NCBFAA Transportation Committee Chair Geoff Powell said. “We were delighted for this opportunity to meet with Secretary Mayorkas to be briefed during the Supply Chain Roundtable and, at the same time, enhance the Administration’s overall understanding of freight forwarders and customs brokers and how the NCBFAA can assist and collaborate to minimize future supply chain interruptions.”

President Biden and DHS Secretary Mayorkas announced the establishment of the Supply Chain Resilience Center (SCRC) on Nov. 27 during the inaugural meeting of the White House Council on Supply Chain Resilience. The SCRC operates within the DHS Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans and report to Undersecretary Robert Silvers and Acting Assistant Secretary Christa Brzozowski. The Center is comprised of personnel from DHS Headquarters, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) who have supply chain knowledge and expertise and are in regular contact with industry and other stakeholders.

As the leading national trade association representing the interests of Customs Brokers, Freight Forwarders, and NVOCCs in Washington, D.C., NCBFAA looks forward to providing additional guidance and industry insights to the Administration’s Supply Chain Resilience Center.