FAST — the Free and Secure Trade program — is a joint program between CBP, the Canada Border Services Agency, and Mexico's Servicio de Administración Tributaria that provides expedited commercial truck processing for low-risk shipments crossing the northern and southern U.S. borders.
To use a FAST lane, every party in the shipment chain must be approved:
- Carrier must be a CTPAT member
- Driver must hold a FAST commercial driver card (issued after a background check)
- Importer must be a CTPAT-certified importer
- Manufacturer (Canada or Mexico) must be CTPAT-certified
Benefits include:
- Dedicated FAST lanes at participating land border crossings
- Reduced number of CBP examinations
- Streamlined accounting and electronic data submission
- Priority processing if the border closes after a security incident
- Reduced wait times — historically averaging 60-80% faster than standard commercial lanes
FAST does not exempt shipments from entry summary filing or duty payment — it provides expedited inspection, not duty relief. Importers must still comply with all reasonable care requirements, file accurate entry summaries, and pay all applicable duties, MPF, and HMF.
For high-volume importers running cross-border logistics — particularly automotive, electronics, and agricultural products under USMCA — FAST is one of the most operationally valuable CTPAT benefits.