EAGLE PASS, Texas- Port Director Paul Del Rincon, Eagle Pass Port of Entry recently announced the opening of the first designated Free And Secure Trade (FAST) lane at the Camino Real International Bridge.
The announcement was made Nov. 4 during opening hours for the cargo lane. Data from the WorldCity analysis of U.S. Census Bureau has ranked Eagle Pass the fifth most important gateway for U.S.-Mexico trade, indicating that in 2018, 50% of all the U.S. beer imports entered in Eagle Pass. Eagle Pass ranked second in the nation for tequila imports and ranked second nationally for imports of prepared and preserved avocados.
driver to utilize the FAST lane at the Eagle Pass
Port of Entry. From left, Assistant Port Director
Gilbert Sepulveda, driver, Port Director Paul
Del Rincón, Chief CBP Officer Pete Beattie and
Supervisory CBP Officer Adolfo Nava.
“This new FAST lane is an excellent way to help facilitate legitimate trade between both Mexico and the United States,” said Port Director Paul Del Rincón, Brownsville Port of Entry. “Eagle Pass is an important component in international trade and we look forward to continuing to strengthen our relationship with stakeholders and support the local and national economy.”
The FAST lane will enable U.S. Customs and Border Protection to offer expedited clearance to those carriers and importers that have made a commitment to increase the security of their supply chain and who have enrolled in the Customs-Trade Partnership against Terrorism (C-TPAT) and utilize FAST approved commercial drivers to import qualifying goods. The creation of a designated FAST lane is the result of a cooperative effort among many federal, state, and provincial government entities on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border and is expected to ensure the security of imported merchandise while enhancing the economic prosperity of both countries.
The Eagle Pass, Texas Port of Entry has conducted extensive community outreach to ensure the success of this lane.