WASHINGTON— U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske concluded his visit to Chicago yesterday where he met with officials and stakeholders from across the region. Commissioner Kerlikowske began his trip with operational tours of both Chicago O’Hare International Airport and the International Mail Facility.
“Over the past few years, CBP has taken a hard look at the way we do business,” said Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske. “Our business and stakeholder partnerships are a key component of CBP’s efforts to continually improve the facilitation of trade and travel that are vital to the growth of our economy.”
The stakeholder meetings kicked off with a Trade Roundtable attended by industry leaders from CBP’s Center of Excellence and Expertise in Chicago, O’Hare International Airport Service, Expeditors Chicago, Euromarket Designs, Tellabs, Sears Holdings Corporation, Abbvie, HAVI Global Solutions as well as representatives from the offices of Congressman Peter Roskam, Congressman Bobby Rush, and Senator Dick Durbin. Discussions centered around the great progress that has been made working with members of the trade community to carry out trade transformation initiatives that simplify and modernize trade processes and improve enforcement of trade laws. Commissioner Kerlikowske noted that he intends to continue to build upon that spirit of co-creation that has been so successfully established between CBP and the trade community.
Commissioner Kerlikowske closed his trip today meeting with the O’Hare Airline Managers Association. The group included representatives from the Chicago Department of Aviation, British Airways, Qatar Airlines, and the Transportation Security Administration. The discussion, led by Chicago Department of Aviation Commissioner Rosemarie Andolino, centered around highlighting best practices in innovation in Chicago, specifically the Automated Passport Control kiosks and the One Stop program, resulting in decreased wait times.