On July 9, 2014, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced the planned eligibility for exporters to participate in the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT), and issued a list of applicable admissibility requirements and guidelines. C-TPAT is a voluntary program designed to improve supply chain security and was only accessible to importers in the past.
According to the release, “As the C-TPAT program has continued its evolution, it has become apparent that exports also have an important role in international supply chains and while this sector is not as heavily owned by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the C-TPAT program, developing an export component for C-TPAT would further enhance both the program and its relationship with other mutually recognized Foreign Customs administrations.”
Eligibility requirements for exporters include the following:
- Be an active U.S. Exporter out of the United States.
- Have a business office staffed in the U.S.
- Be an active U.S. Exporter with a documentable with Employee Identification Number (EIN) or Dun & Bradstreet (DUNS) number
- Have a documented export security program
- Create and provide CBP with a C-TPAT supply chain security profile
- Commit to maintaining the C-TPAT supply chain security criteria
- Have an acceptable level of compliance for export reporting for the latest 12-month period
Additional areas of focus include the following:
- Security procedures
- Exporter Minimum Security Criteria
- Business Partner Requirements
- Point of Origin
- Participation/Certification in Foreign Customs Administrations Supply Chain Security Programs
- Container Security/Inspection/Seals/Storage
- Conveyance Tracking and Monitoring Procedures
- Physical Access Controls
- Export Training and Threat Awareness
- Information Technology Security
CBP has yet to announce when the program will officially be opened to exporters.
Expeditors will continue to monitor the situation and will provide updates as they occur.
The release can be accessed here
