CBP EXPANDS PRECLEARANCE TO TEN NEW SITES
July 17, 2015
CBP recently announced that it would enter into negotiations to expand preclearance operations at ten new non-U.S. airports. The ten foreign airports identified for possible preclearance locations are: Brussels Airport, Belgium; Punta Cana Airport, Dominican Republic; Narita International Airport, Japan; Amsterdam Airport Schipol, Netherlands; Oslo Airport, Norway; Madrid-Barajas Airport, Spain; Stockholm Arlanda Airport, Sweden; Istanbul Ataturk Airport, Turkey; and London Heathrow Airport and Manchester Airport, United Kingdom.
Currently, CBP Preclearance provides for the U.S. border inspection and clearance of commercial air passengers and their goods at 15 locations in 6 foreign countries. A preclearance inspection is essentially the same inspection an individual would undergo at a U.S. port of entry and preclearance travelers do not have to undergo a second CBP inspection upon arrival in the United States. Successful CBP programs are already being carried out at airports in: Dublin and Shannon in Ireland; Aruba; Freeport and Nassau in The Bahamas; Bermuda; Calgary, Toronto, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, and Winnipeg in Canada; and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. CBP and the national governments of the selected airports are expected to begin negotiations soon which could result in final air preclearance agreements.
If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Sahr (esahr@eckertseamans.com, 202-659-6622) or Drew Derco (dderco@eckertseamans.com, 202-659-6665).