Representing North Carolina’s Ninth District                                                                        

MYRICK RECEIVES RESPONSE FROM HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY REGARDING THE HIRING OF CUSTOMS AGENTS TO FIGHT TEXTILE TRANSSHIPMENTS

(Washington, D.C.) – In 2003, U.S. Representative Sue Myrick (NC-9) lead the fight on the House side to get the resources needed to hire new customs officers to fight textile transshipments.  Rep. Myrick was able to secure $9.5 million dollars for the new customs officers in September of 2003. 

 Customs informed the NC Delegation that the new agents would be hired by the end of 2004.  However, at the beginning of 2005 no agents had been hired.  Numerous Members of Congress wrote to the US Customs and Border Patrol and to the Department of Homeland Security inquiring why the agents had not been hired.  A response to these inquires were sent late last night. 

 “Last night Homeland Security finally decided to respond to my numerous requests as to where the 72 new customs agents were.  They sent a letter informing me that they were currently hiring the agents and would have all the positions filled by 2006.  They didn’t tell me why the agents had not been hired, just that they would be hired,” said Rep. Myrick.  “Homeland Security has been dragging their feet long enough.  I’m going to keep close watch on this process until they hire all those agents to protect textile’s interests.  If they don’t fulfill their promise — we are going to have problems.”   
 Illegal transshipment occurs when countries ship their goods through other countries before they reach the United States in an effort to bypass US trade laws.  It has been estimated that illegal transshipments cost thousands of textile jobs each year, and billions of dollars to the US economy.  

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