Washington, D.C. – The Cargo Airline Association (CAA) issued the following statement on potential U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) workforce reductions at major U.S. airports:
“CBP officers are essential to the movement of international air cargo and the integrity of U.S. supply chains. At airports, they are responsible for processing and clearing all international inbound and outbound cargo. A significant reduction or withdrawal of CBP personnel from these facilities would not just slow commerce, it could significantly disrupt lawful international air cargo flows.
“Air cargo networks are highly integrated through global schedules and international aviation frameworks, including Open Skies Agreements. As recently reported, proposals to reduce or shift CBP staffing at major airports, including key international gateways such as Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), would quickly spread across domestic and global supply chains, impacting exporters, manufacturers, and the movement of critical, emergency, high-value and time-sensitive goods.
“Air cargo cannot be rerouted without severe economic consequences; it depends on predictable federal inspection capacity at established points of entry. Any interruption at U.S. airports would reverberate throughout the transportation system.
“As demand for international air cargo continues to grow, maintaining predictable, reliable and stable CBP operations is essential to U.S. economic strength, supply chain resilience, and global competitiveness.
“CAA urges the Department of Homeland Security to ensure the full continuity of CBP operations at all U.S. airports of entry and avoid any action that would unnecessarily disrupt the lawful flow of cargo and commerce.”
