republic-os/legal/us/code/title-19/chapter-28/section-4311.md

type, title, description, jurisdiction, corpus, kind, title_number, title_name, chapter_number, chapter_name, section, citation, status, release_point, release_date, source, source_url, source_identifier, source_file, source_hash, raw_snapshot_hash, text_hash, retrieved_at, confidence, tags

type	title	description	jurisdiction	corpus	kind	title_number	title_name	chapter_number	chapter_name	section	citation	status	release_point	release_date	source	source_url	source_identifier	source_file	source_hash	raw_snapshot_hash	text_hash	retrieved_at	confidence	tags
LegalText	19 U.S.C. § 4311	Improving partnership programs	us	united_states_code	code_section	19	CUSTOMS DUTIES	28	TRADE FACILITATION AND TRADE ENFORCEMENT	4311	19 U.S.C. § 4311	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc19@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t19/s4311	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-19/usc19.xml	83075aadbece2f379e3e9f9e9deafb23b929dbfd27e4cbb1e1f5b142529d2cd9	c90da65eeb9b6895d254e48af923eedc3b1275c7e88d986eb56f934bfcdfdf5c	f9e701efcca2ad636f8139320dba179bf179c076405f79383494e31808b4b929	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

19 U.S.C. § 4311 - Improving partnership programs

Text

(a) In general In order to advance the security, trade enforcement, and trade facilitation missions of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Commissioner shall ensure that partnership programs of U.S. Customs and Border Protection established before February 24, 2016, such as the Customs–Trade Partnership Against Terrorism established under subtitle B of title II of the Security and Accountability for Every Port Act of 2006 (6 U.S.C. 961 et seq.), and partnership programs of U.S. Customs and Border Protection established on or after February 24, 2016, provide trade benefits to private sector entities that meet the requirements for participation in those programs established by the Commissioner under this section.

(b) Elements In developing and operating partnership programs under subsection (a), the Commissioner shall—

(1) consult with private sector entities, the public, and other Federal agencies when appropriate, to ensure that participants in those programs receive commercially significant and measurable trade benefits, including providing preclearance of merchandise for qualified persons that demonstrate the highest levels of compliance with the customs and trade laws of the United States, regulations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and other requirements the Commissioner determines to be necessary;

(2) ensure an integrated and transparent system of trade benefits and compliance requirements for all partnership programs of U.S. Customs and Border Protection;

(3) consider consolidating partnership programs in situations in which doing so would support the objectives of such programs, increase participation in such programs, enhance the trade benefits provided to participants in such programs, and enhance the allocation of the resources of U.S. Customs and Border Protection;

(4) coordinate with the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and other Federal agencies with authority to detain and release merchandise entering the United States—

(A) to ensure coordination in the release of such merchandise through the Automated Commercial Environment, or its predecessor, and the International Trade Data System established under section 1411(d) of this title;

(B) to ensure that the partnership programs of those agencies are compatible with the partnership programs of U.S. Customs and Border Protection;

(C) to develop criteria for authorizing the release, on an expedited basis, of merchandise for which documentation is required from one or more of those agencies to clear or license the merchandise for entry into the United States; and

(D) to create pathways, within and among the appropriate Federal agencies, for qualified persons that demonstrate the highest levels of compliance with the customs and trade laws of the United States to receive immediate clearance absent information that a transaction may pose a national security or compliance threat; and

(5) ensure that trade benefits are provided to participants in partnership programs.

(c) Report required Not later than the date that is 180 days after February 24, 2016, and not later than December 31 of each calendar year thereafter, the Commissioner shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that—

(1) identifies each partnership program referred to in subsection (a);

(2) for each such program, identifies—

(A) the requirements for participants in the program;

(B) the commercially significant and measurable trade benefits provided to participants in the program;

(C) the number of participants in the program; and

(D) in the case of a program that provides for participation at multiple tiers, the number of participants at each such tier;

(3) identifies the number of participants enrolled in more than one such partnership program;

(4) assesses the effectiveness of each such partnership program in advancing the security, trade enforcement, and trade facilitation missions of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, based on historical developments, the level of participation in the program, and the evolution of benefits provided to participants in the program;

(5) summarizes the efforts of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to work with other Federal agencies with authority to detain and release merchandise entering the United States to ensure that partnership programs of those agencies are compatible with partnership programs of U.S. Customs and Border Protection;

(6) summarizes criteria developed with those agencies for authorizing the release, on an expedited basis, of merchandise for which documentation is required from one or more of those agencies to clear or license the merchandise for entry into the United States;

(7) summarizes the efforts of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to work with private sector entities and the public to develop and improve such partnership programs;

(8) describes measures taken by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to make private sector entities aware of the trade benefits available to participants in such partnership programs; and

(9) summarizes the plans, targets, and goals of U.S. Customs and Border Protection with respect to such partnership programs for the 2 years following the submission of the report.

(Pub. L. 114–125, title I, § 101, Feb. 24, 2016, 130 Stat. 127.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

References in TextThe Security and Accountability for Every Port Act of 2006, referred to in subsec. (a), is Pub. L. 109–347, Oct. 13, 2006, 120 Stat. 1884, also known as the SAFE Port Act. Subtitle B of title II of the Act is classified generally to part B (§ 961 et seq.) of subchapter II of chapter 3 of Title 6, Domestic Security. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 901 of Title 6 and Tables.