ANAM, CBP Expand Real-Time Customs Data Exchange

ANAM and CBP are developing real-time customs data exchange mechanisms to strengthen cargo verification, disrupt illicit trade, and improve security across the Mexico-US border.

Mexico and the United States are advancing customs cooperation by developing a real-time information exchange system between the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM) and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The initiative aims to improve the validation of import and export declarations while strengthening efforts to combat fuel smuggling, contraband, arms trafficking, and drug trafficking across the shared border.

The initiative was launched following a meeting in Nuevo Laredo between Héctor Romero, Head, ANAM, and Diane Sabatino, Executive Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Field Operations, CBP. During the meeting, both agencies began work on mechanisms that will allow customs authorities to validate and exchange import and export declaration data in real time.  

According to ANAM, providing customs officials with immediate access to trade documentation will help detect inconsistencies before shipments cross the border, reducing opportunities for illicit activities while improving customs oversight. The agency said the system is designed to target illegal fuel trafficking, commonly known in Mexico as huachicol, as well as the smuggling of weapons, narcotics, and other contraband.  

Digital Customs Become a Security Tool

The initiative reflects Mexico’s broader strategy to modernize customs through digitalization and intelligence sharing. Rather than relying solely on physical inspections, customs authorities are increasingly using data validation and coordinated risk analysis to identify suspicious cargo before it reaches border crossings.

Real-time verification of customs declarations can also reduce administrative errors and improve the efficiency of legitimate trade by enabling authorities on both sides of the border to compare documentation simultaneously. This approach is expected to strengthen supply chain security while facilitating cross-border commerce between Mexico and the United States.  

The agreement builds on a growing pattern of institutional cooperation between ANAM and other Mexican agencies focused on intelligence sharing. Earlier this year, ANAM signed coordination agreements with Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) to strengthen strategic information exchange, while previous collaboration with CBP has already contributed to enforcement actions, including the seizure of 60,000 packs of illicit cigarettes at Mexico City International Airport.  

Supporting Secure and Efficient Trade

ANAM described the initiative as part of a broader commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation through trust, coordination, and information exchange. Beyond security objectives, the agencies emphasized that more effective customs collaboration can also contribute to economic development by creating a safer and more predictable trading environment for businesses operating across North America.  

The announcement comes as Mexico continues implementing digital customs initiatives intended to streamline border operations and improve trade facilitation. Separately, Mexico’s Agency for Digital Transformation and Telecommunications (ATDT) recently introduced a 24/7 telephone hotline and virtual assistant for users of the country’s Single Window for Foreign Trade Procedures (VUTCE), providing technical support and assistance for customs-related processes.  

As North American supply chains face heightened scrutiny over security, customs compliance, and cross-border efficiency, the expansion of real-time data sharing between ANAM and CBP represents another step toward integrating customs operations while reinforcing efforts to prevent illicit trade without disrupting legitimate commerce.