What does FAST stand for?

When Canadians enter the United States by land or water, they are mandated to provide ONE of the following documents: a passport; a NEXUS card, a Free and Secure Trade (FAST) card, an enhanced driver''s license (EDL) or enhanced identification card, or a Secure Certificate of Indian Status.

These changes to business further evolved in April and September 2002 with the emergence of the Customs- Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C- TPAT) and Free and Secure Trade (FAST) programs.

The project will also include new facilities designed to take advantage of the NEXUS and Free and Secure Trade frequent traveler programs.

The new designated Free and Secure Trade (FAST) lane allows pre-approved commercial drivers to skip long lines and quickly cross the border, saving time and money.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Partnering with the trade community and local law enforcement is another element in the mosaic, according to Perez, as is the implementation of the trusted travelers programs: the Free and Secure Trade program (FAST) for commercial traffic and NEXUS for individual travelers.

For example, the Department of Homeland Security is adopting RFID in its Free and Secure Trade program, which seeks to speed up the movement of pre-approved, eligible goods across the U.

Free and Secure Trade (FAST): Provides expedited processing for companies that adopt approved security measures.

For inbound cargo the requirements are: * Air cargo, including cargo by air express couriers: four hours prior to arrival in the United States, or by "wheels up" from North America and South American locations above the equator; * Rail: two hours prior to arrival at US port of entry; * Truck: one hour prior to arrival in the United States, or 30 minutes for participants in the Free and Secure Trade program, which enables expedited processing for carriers that follow certain guidelines; * Sea: 24 hours prior to lading at a foreign seaport.