Customs Facilitation Act of 2025

Key Points

• This bill aims to make it easier and faster for goods to move across U.S. borders. It creates a 'single window' digital system so businesses only have to submit their paperwork once, instead of dealing with many different government agencies separately. This is intended to reduce delays and lower the cost of shipping goods.
• The plan creates a new council to make sure different government groups—like those focused on health, safety, and the environment—work together at the border. By using the same names for items and sharing data, these agencies can avoid asking businesses for the same information multiple times.
• Businesses that export goods would see less red tape. For example, if a company makes a small clerical error on a form, they would not be fined unless they have a repeated pattern of mistakes. It also speeds up 'drawback' payments, which are refunds the government gives to companies when they export certain products.
• The bill requires the government to be more transparent by providing clear contact information for border officials and setting strict deadlines for responding to business requests. It also adds new instructions to help companies make sure they are not accidentally importing goods made with forced labor.
• To ensure the system works well, the government would be required to check if there is already a commercial technology that can handle these tasks before building a custom one. It also authorizes funding starting in 2026 to keep these digital systems updated and running smoothly.