Customs Commissioner Kelly Resigns
Customs Commissioner Raymond Kelly in a surprise move Friday tendered his resignation, effective immediately.
Kelly, who has overseen the agency for the past two years, said he was unable to give more notice for his departure “because of late discussions over a number of positions in the new administration to be filled by incuments.”
He guided the agency through technology advances re-quired by the North American Free Trade Agreement, but was often criticized for not pushing harder for funding for these changes.
The trucking industry pointed to miles and miles of trucks lined up at border crossings because Customs’ technology was insufficient to process the paperwork required by increased Nafta trade. In December, after several years of grappling with stalled funding for a new import automation system, the agency broke the impasse and started moving the new system’s development forward.
 |  U.S. Customs |
| Raymond W. Kelly |
Current Deputy Commissioner Chuck Winwood will “lead the Customs Service in the days ahead,” said Kelly.
Kelly viewed the agency as “at its core, a law enforcement agency.” The trucking industry, importers and exporters criticized him for that view, saying that he allocated agency resources too heavily towards interdiction, not trade.
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In parting, Kelly pointed to the legacy he leaves in having streamlined and centralized many agency activities, including the Office of Investigation, as well as having created systematic training to upgrade the professional skills of career employees.
