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C-TPAT: Port Boys Complaint

For years, the cargo supply chain has been encumbered by slow security checks. C-TPAT wants to change that.

By Kathleen Carr

September 01, 2003 — CSO — For years, the cargo supply chain has been encumbered by slow security checks. C-TPAT wants to change that.

In the team-building portion at your last company offsite, you probably remember an exercise where group A led group B through an obstacle course. Presumably group B exited the course unscathed. The game is similar to the real-life scenario being played out at shipping ports around the world today: In an attempt to lead businesses through transport's security maze, the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection has created several programs to improve the inherent lack of trust in the cargo system so that things move more swiftly through the supply chain.

The Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, or C-TPAT, is a joint initiative between the government and the private sector aimed at safely expediting containers through ports. Companies that promise to use good security measures and provide documentation of the containers' contents to Customs officials will be rewarded with an accelerated shipping schedulekind of like a fast lane for cargo. Those that enroll in the program must perform self-assessments of their supply chain security and implement a security program that follows C-TPAT guidelines, which focus on security compliance of facilities, access, procedures, personnel, documentation and training.

"Anyone at a terminal of a trucking company could infiltrate the cargo supply chain, especially overseas where background checks aren't allowed," says Ken Wheatley, vice president of corporate security for Sony Electronics. "The obvious difficulty lies in managing a coordinated effort between various government entities. If you have DEA, FDA and Customs independently coming up with regulations without communicating with each other, the end users will get caught in a vice with inconsistent standards."

Another Customs initiative, called the Container Security Initiative, or CSI, was launched in January 2002, to ensure the security of containers in transit by using technology to prescreen and secure containers. Of the top 20 ports worldwide, 18 have already joined CSI. According to Wheatley, becoming a member of the initiative means you are "a trusted importer." To attain that status, you must provide Customs with details of what you're shipping and documentation that demonstrates that you are shipping it safely.