CBP Announces Launch of Green Trade Strategy

The Strategy establishes a proactive model to combat the negative impacts of climate change on the agency’s trade mission while strengthening existing enforcement activities against environmental trade crimes including illegal logging; wildlife trafficking; illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing; and illegal mining. It also defines goals for environmentally sustainable trade policies, programs, and infrastructure within the agency.

“Climate change and its impacts on the global movement of people and goods pose new challenges to U.S. national and economic security and introduce new considerations into CBP’s trade facilitation and enforcement mission,” said CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus. “CBP’s Green Trade Strategy offers a forward-looking framework to help the agency prepare for climate-related challenges, while seizing opportunities to grow the green economy and foster American innovation.”

The Green Trade Strategy aligns with broader Department of Homeland Security efforts and supports a whole-of-government approach to mitigating risk and seizing opportunities associated with climate change and environmental stewardship within the trade space.

“The Green Trade Strategy not only addresses the significant challenges climate change poses to the trade mission, it also highlights the many opportunities that will accompany a more resilient and efficient customs environment—all while spurring the innovation of cutting-edge green solutions made here in America,” said AnnMarie Highsmith, Executive Assistant Commissioner of CBP’s Office of Trade. “By launching the Green Trade Strategy, we’re one step closer to making that future a reality.”

Recent studies indicate that global supply chains may account for as much as 80 percent of the world’s total carbon emissions. In addition, environmental crime represents between $85 billion and $265 billion in criminal revenue each year and is often linked to money laundering and the funding of transnational criminal organizations. CBP is well positioned to help develop and enforce a cleaner, more sustainable international trading environment through the agency’s influence on global supply chain practices and enforcement of laws against environmental crimes, which have devastating economic and environmental effects on local and international communities.

The Strategy presents four strategic goals to guide CBP’s trade-related environmental activities:

• Incentivize Green Trade – provide facilitation benefits and other incentives to promote environmentally-friendly trade practices and supply chains
• Strengthen Environmental Enforcement Posture – enforce against environmental bad actors to drive meaningful changes in trade practices
• Accelerate Green Innovation – promote and invest in the deployment of innovative, sustainable trade practices by government and private industry
• Improve Climate Resilience and Resource Efficiency – decrease the greenhouse gas emissions associated with CBP operations and strengthen the resilience and sustainability of trade infrastructure and assets.

CBP already enforces several environmental trade laws and practices to help combat environmental degradation, protect endangered species, and ensure American consumers and industry have access to sustainable products. With the Green Trade Strategy, the agency is looking to set an example for customs authorities around the world to develop higher, greener standards for global trade while creating an opportunity for government, industry, and the public to unify efforts in the creation of a more sustainable future. CBP will collaborate with stakeholders across the international trade environment in a manner that matches the urgency of climate change and the threat it poses to the global economy and to the planet.

More information on CBP’s Green Trade Strategy, including the Strategy in its entirety, can be found here.

Follow CBP Office of Trade on Twitter @CBPTradeGov.