Free And Secure Trade

Free And Secure Trade (FAST) is "an expedited clearance program for known low-risk cargo shipments through which Mexico and the United States have agreed to harmonize processes for clearance of commercial shipments in accordance with the U.S.-Mexico Border Partnership Declaration." [1]

FAST Lanes

FAST Lanes are "dedicated lanes for cargo trucks enrolled in a key U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) initiative to counter terrorism, improve compliance and facilitate trade on the U.S.-Mexico border." [2]

In January 2005, Calexico became "the sixth Southern border port of entry to dedicate a FAST lane. In October 2004, the port of Otay Mesa became the first on the California-Mexico border to open a FAST lane. Similar lanes have opened at ports of entry in Laredo, Pharr, Brownsville and El Paso, Texas. These ports are the largest cargo facilities on the Southern border and together account for over 90 percent of the commercial traffic on the U.S.-Mexico border." [3]

Related SourceWatch Resources

• illegal immigration
• NEXUS
• North American Union
• Radio Frequency Identification / RFID
• Secure Border Initiative (SBI)
• Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection
• U.S.-Canada Smart Borders Accord
• U.S. National Guard Troops along the U.S.-Mexico border

External links

• Press Release: "Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge Visits New FAST Lane at Calexico," U.S. Department of Homeland Security, January 17, 2005.
• "The Mexico-U.S. Border Partnership. Progress Report 2002-2004," U.S. Department of Homeland Security, January 17, 2005.