U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced March 24 that it recently began a pilot C-TPAT validation program in China in cooperation with China’s General Administration of Customs. A CBP press release states that the program is being conducted with the voluntary participation of three U.S. importers whose supply chains predominately originate in China. According to CBP, China Customs is heading the validation initiative using the C-TPAT minimum security criteria as a guide and has completed the first validation with technical assistance from CBP supply chain security specialists.
The pilot program could open the way for more C-TPAT participants to qualify for Tier 3 status. This designation allows those that have been C-TPAT certified and validated and that exceed the program’s minimum security criteria to receive benefits such as expedited cargo release during all threat levels, fewer cargo exams, priority cargo searches and bigger reductions in Automated Targeting System risk scores. CBP notes that the three companies involved in the pilot have been ineligible for Tier 3 status due to CBP’s inability to validate security procedures in China. CBP will now use the information gathered under this program to decide whether these companies can receive higher level benefits.
In addition, CBP and China Customs will jointly evaluate the pilot program and determine next steps. According to an American Shipper article, more than 300 other companies that source most of their production from China could become eligible for Tier 3 benefits if this validation program is expanded. CBP has been pilot testing a program allowing third-party validations in China, but the article notes that only about a dozen companies have taken advantage of it.
The press release notes that CBP has performed more than 7,200 total C-TPAT validations since 2003. In 2007 CBP visited manufacturing and logistics facilities in 79 countries, validated 3,011 supply chains and certified 2,601 new members.
World Trade/Interactive
