A Look at Advance Electronic Holds

The Office of Inspector General of the Postal Service issued an audit report that reviewed the process by which the Postal Service fulfills requests by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to hold international mail for inspection. CBP uses advance electronic data the USPS collects from foreign posts on inbound international packages to determine if a package needs greater scrutiny. Collection of AED, which includes details about the shipment’s content as well as name and address of both sender and recipient, is a key feature of the STOP Act – part of a sweeping law meant to combat the opioids crisis.

To read the OIG report, Advance Electronic Holds and Reliability, click here.