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Donald Trump promises to build a wall along the Mexican border, but what about other ports of entry to the US market? To listen to R. Gil Kerlikowske, Commissioner, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), is to learn that there is so much more beyond illegal immigration when it comes to border protection — especially when it comes to keeping illegally traded goods and commodities out of the US. Much like people looking to enter the country unlawfully, illegally exported products can evade border agents through a variety of disguises, tricks and fraud — such as transshipment, or deliberately misclassifying points of origin — in an effort to circumvent trade barriers. Earlier this week Commissioner Kerlikowske addressed the annual meetings of the American Iron and Steel Institute and Metals Service Center Institute in Salt Lake City. His topic: “Protecting Our Borders, Protecting Our Industry.” He noted that each year, CBP manages more than 300,000 active importers-of-record, accounting for 33 million commercial transactions. “In 2015, CBP processed more $2.4 trillion of imports, and more than $1.5 trillion worth of US exported goods,” Kerlikowske said. “We also collected approximately $46 billion in duties, taxes, and other fees — the highest amount collected in the past five years.” The domestic steel industry is responsible for a fair share of that collection amount — having aggressively pursued antidumping and countervailing duty remedies in recent years. According to Kerlikowske, there are “approximately 270 AD/CVD orders on steel, alloy and other metal products — 150 on steel products alone.” Critical to the CBP effort is enforcing US trade laws, and its enforcement posture has three prongs: detecting high-risk activity, deterring non-compliance and disrupting fraudulent behavior. “To effectively carry out that mission, CBP coordinates with US industry, 47 interagency partners, and foreign governments,” Kerlikowske said, explaining that such collaboration enables CBP to detect anomalies, trends, and violations in the global supply chain, target high-risk trade, and promote compliance with US laws and regulations. “Global overcapacity in steel and aluminum production is generating significant problems for economies worldwide — but particularly here at home,” Kerlikowske said. He added: “President Obama and his entire administration share your concerns about unfair, unequal competition from foreign imports.” CBP cites its ...