C-TPAT Consulting

The Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT), is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) voluntary trade partnership program in which CBP and members of the trade community work together to secure and facilitate the movement of legitimate international trade. The program focuses on improving security throughout the supply chain, beginning at the point of origin
(including manufacturer, supplier, or vendor) through a point of distribution to the destination. C-TPAT member companies, called partners, agree to implement certain security procedures throughout their supply chains to protect those supply chains from terrorist infiltration and other illegal activities that threaten the security of the United States. C-TPAT partners who undertake these protections receive facilitated processing by CBP. As a result, the program helps CBP achieve its twin goals of improving security while facilitating the flow of global trade. In the course of enrolling, certifying, and validating C­-TPAT applicants/partners and their supply chains, the C-TPAT system will receive personally identifiable information (PIT) and confidential business information from the applicant/partner, as well as sensitive law enforcement information from existing law enforcement systems.

The benefits of participating in C-TPAT could include:

  • Playing an active role in the war against terrorism and good corporate citizenship
  • A reduced number of CBP inspections
  • Priority processing (front-of-line) for CBP inspections
  • Eligibility to attend C-TPAT training seminars
  • Prerequisite for participation in the importer self-assessment program
  • Penalty mitigation under certain circumstances
  • Assigned security consultant, a supply-chain security specialist
  • Tier III importers allowed block designation application to DHS SAFETY Act
  • Exporters who allow CBP to share information with other customs agencies gain reduced inspections upon arrival in those countries (see below list)

Using the right technology, the processes of supplier data collection, organization, and risk analysis can be done easily, without requiring large investments into IT infrastructure or resources. The primary goal of the C-TPAT program is not to add more work for the importer or the companies participating, but to help improve the security of all global supply chains.

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