Cassidy's SAFE Act Targets the Foreign Importer Accountability Gap

Senator Bill Cassidy (opens in a new tab) introduced the Securing Accountability in Foreign Entries (SAFE) Act to close a longstanding customs enforcement weakness: importers can owe duties while having little verifiable U.S. presence or assets against which the government can collect.

The bill (opens in a new tab) would tighten importer identity, physical-presence, payment-account and bond requirements, while preserving specified arrangements for Canadian, Australian and other qualifying partners. Those details matter: legitimate cross-border trade is not itself a customs-fraud problem.

This is an important proposal, not enacted law. Verifying who imports goods and making the importer answerable for payment would give CBP a stronger basis for enforcement. Actual recovery would still depend on investigation and collection. Congress should advance a workable and enforceable solution.