Effective January 19, 2017, the Centers of Excellence (CEE) test will be closed with the Interim Final Rule being put in place.  Per the Federal Register Notice, “CBP is prepared to end the test and establish the Centers as a permanent organizational component of the agency and transition certain additional trade functions to the Centers”. The CEE’s will no longer accept voluntary applications from importers to become participants. Importers that had been accepted as participants under the test will continue to be handled on an account basis by the designated Center.  Federal Register Notice:  https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/12/20/2016-29719/regulatory-implementation-of-the-centers-of-excellence-and-expertise