Account Management

The Account Management program began in 1997 as a method to increase compliance while reducing costs and inefficiencies for CBP and the trade. The mission of account management is to use account-based (rather than transaction-based) methods con­sistent with risk management principles to develop and maintain the highest levels of trade compliance, and to enforce, regulate, and administer U.S. trade laws, while fostering the flow of lawful international trade.

By viewing a company and its trade performance in the aggregate, account management is intended to raise compliance, facilitate the flow of legitimate trade, and increase efficiencies. It does so, in part, by providing a National Account Manager to significant importers and broker accounts.

An account is an importer or a customhouse broker. The account may be defined by a single Importer of Record number or by a group of Importer of Record numbers or by one or more filer codes. All participants in the Importer Self-Assessment (ISA) program are assigned to an Account Manager. This is a significant incentive to join the ISA program. The Account Manager performs oversight of these accounts for the ISA program.

The Account Manager serves as a primary point of contact to the account for trade related issues and also serves as a primary point of contact for the account within CBP, to establish and support smooth-working relation­ships among the many CBP disciplines that interact with the account. The Account Manager also provides guidance and assistance to the account and collaborates with other CBP disciplines to create and implement comprehensive strategies to manage and segment risk, solve problems, and increase efficiencies.

As part of CBP's trade transformation efforts, each Account Manager is now a core member of 1 of the 10 Centers of Excellence and Expertise. The 10 Centers are:

• Agriculture and Prepared Products
• Apparel, Footwear & Textiles
• Automotive & Aerospace
• Base Metals
• Consumer Products and Mass Merchandising
• Electronics
• Industrial and Manufacturing Materials
• Machinery
• Petroleum, Natural Gas & Minerals
• Pharmaceuticals, Health & Chemicals