“Although the main reconfiguration and remodel was completed in 2014,” notes Bennen, upgrades are still needed due to more shipments. “Imports of produce from Mexico are continuing to grow in volume, as we are now seeing imports via Nogales expanding to additional items not previously shipped through here.”
Initially, there was reason to be hopeful. The new U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency’s (CPB) port director, Efrain Solis, Jr., had promised to take advantage of new congressional funding to fully staff the facilities, to enhance technology and infrastructure at the “antiquated” DeConcini Port of Entry, and to encourage compliance with programs such as the Trusted Traveler card and SENTRI (Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection program).
And although many throughout the industry, including the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, have been working consistently with government entities and regulators to ensure the port is fully functional and staffed, progress is often relegated to one step forward, two steps back process.
A recent setback came just months after Solis took the reins of the CPB and everyone was getting used to the latest regime. Coinciding with the retirement of the port’s longtime assistant director, Joe Agosttini, Solis was abruptly relieved of his duties. His replacement was interim director Michael Humphries, who had previously overseen the Douglas, AZ port of entry.
What’s going well
With every shortcoming, however comes a success. One new CPB initiative, the Unified Cargo Processing (UCP) program, has been in effect since July of 2016 and is said to be drastically cutting border crossing times.
The Greater Nogales/Santa Cruz Port Authority’s chairman, Guillermo Valencia, has estimated that the UCP program has lowered wait times from over three hours to around 30 minutes, and led to millions in savings for shippers.
More than 18,000 trucks, employed by importers certified through the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (known as C-TPAT), have participated in the program, and its own numbers report an overall average reduction in wait times of 18 percent.
“The port reconfiguration has only helped our deal here in Nogales,” maintains Franzone, “since we can rely more easily on product being ready to ship rather than waiting a day or two for much-needed items to arrive on this side of the border.”
Training options
Another factor promising a substantial decrease in wait time at border crossings is an international training program, sponsored by the Arizona Department of Transportation, in which both American and Mexican drivers and mechanics are given instructions on policy and procedure to increase safety and reduce idle time.
