Which program facilitates expedited release for qualifying commercial shipments between the U.S. and its neighboring countries?

The program that facilitates expedited release for qualifying commercial shipments between the U.S. and its neighboring countries, namely Canada and Mexico, is known as the FAST program, which stands for Free and Secure Trade. This program is specifically designed to enhance the security of cross-border trade while speeding up the customs clearance process for low-risk shipments.

FAST is a trusted traveler program that allows expedited processing for pre-approved, low-risk shipments, thus reducing wait times at the border. Importers and exporters who participate in this program enjoy benefits such as a dedicated lane for FAST shipments, which allows for quicker movement of goods across the border, thereby improving supply chain efficiency.

While C-TPAT (Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism) focuses on enhancing the security of the supply chain and ACE (Automated Commercial Environment) is an electronic system that facilitates trade, the FAST program is the one specifically aimed at expedited release for commercial shipments between the U.S. and its neighboring countries. NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), on the other hand, is a trade agreement that reduces barriers to trade and investment between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, but it does not specifically address expedited processing of shipments.