On March 16, 2015, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published a guidance document on recommended seal procedures for importers, manufacturers, exporters, consolidators, and carriers.
CBP clarifies that, “many of these items are above and beyond the minimum security criteria, and some have been previously identified as Best Practices. “
To ensure that all supply chain participants comply with the minimum security measures, CBP also included, “seal requirements for companies that are not eligible to be direct Partners of the C-TPAT Program, such as domestic highway carriers in the U.S. and other countries.”
Main requirements, among others, include the following:
- Seals must be compliant with ISO 17712 standards for high security seals
- Documentation regarding the compliance standard must be maintained on file for verification
- Upon receipt of seals, an inventory must be conducted and the seals must be logged in a seal log
- If a seal is removed or tampered with in-transit, the driver must report it to CBP
- Carriers must verify seal number and location of the seal is the same as stated on shipping documents
CBP also specifies that importers who do not physically handle seals must ensure that their involved partners have written seal policies.
The guidance document can be accessed online at:
