Highlights of CBP's November 2005 Trade Symposium (Part I - C-TPAT)
On November 2-4, 2005, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) held its annual Trade Symposium in Washington, DC.
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This is Part I of multi-part series of summaries on CBP's Trade Symposium and highlights the presentations made by various CBP officials regarding the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT).
CBP Compares Status of C-TPAT in January and November 2005
During the Trade Symposium, CBP officials provided an update on C-TPAT as of November 2005, by comparing it with the status of C-TPAT earlier in the year (as of January 2005).
According to CBP, as of November 2005, there were 10,079 C-TPAT applicants and 5,472 C-TPAT certified partners (as compared to 8,643 applicants and 4,615 certified partners as of January 2005).
CBP states that by November 2005, it had established an online C-TPAT application process (to replace the previous paper-based application process). (See ITT's Online Archives or 07/18/05 and 07/27/05 news, 05071805 and 05072705, for BP summaries of CBP's online C-TPAT application process.)
By November 2005, CBP states that it had 87 Supply Chain Security Specialists and five field offices (up from 38 Supply Chain Security Specialists and 4 field offices in January 2005).
CBP officials noted that in February 2005 they completed their human capital plan and that they now know the proper staffing levels for C-TPAT. Although CBP now has 87 Supply Chain Security Specialists, sources note that they have determined that they need 157 such specialists and that they are continuing their recruitment efforts.
CBP also stated that by November 2005 it had completed 1,106 validations and another 2,484 validations were in progress. According to CBP, the number of validations completed and in progress represents 66% of the total number of certified C-TPAT partners.
(CBP further notes that as of January 2005, the number of validations completed (403) and in progress (518) represented only 20% of the certified C-TPAT partners at that time.)
CBP further noted the following changes in the C-TPAT program that have taken place during the period from January 2005 to November 2005:
C-TPAT now utilizes minimum security criteria (rather than guidelines as it did before);
In March 2005, CBP announced minimum security criteria for C-TPAT importers. (See ITT's Online Archives or 03/28/05 news, 05032810, for BP summary of CBP's new minimum security criteria for importers.)
CBP sources stated at the Trade Symposium that they are now working on strawman proposals to establish minimum security criteria for the other categories of C-TPAT partners.
C-TPAT has a tiered benefits structure (rather than its previous one standard benefits package). (See ITT's Online Archives or 04/27/05 news, 05042710, for BP summary of CBP Commissioner's speech regarding the move to a tiered benefits structure for C-TPAT.)
C-TPAT Supply Chain Security Specialists now utilize technology such as Automated Validation Assessment Questionnaires and Tablet PCs instead of individual check lists and notepads they previously used.
CBP Outlines the Benefits of C-TPAT Membership
At a separate presentation, CBP officials outlined the following as benefits of C-TPAT membership:
Reduced cargo inspections (Automated Targeting System (ATS) score reductions, lowest compliance measurement, and negated Automated Commercial System (ACS) selectivity)
Six times fewer enforcement exams and four times fewer trade inspections
Tiered system of benefits (took effect May 2005)
Front of line inspection privileges
Expedited cargo processing (through Free and Secure Trade (FAST) lanes)
Trade Act penalty mitigation (failure to file electronically; untimely filing)
Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) penalty mitigation (same parameters as Trade Act)
Eligible for Importer Self-Assessment (ISA) program
Eligible to participate in CBP training seminars (CBP officials state that the next C-TPAT conference will be held in early March 2006 in Costa Mesa)
Contingency planning
Eligible to receive C-TPAT best practices catalog (which is in development and expected to be released in November 2005)
Eligible to participate in C-TPAT communications portal (which is in development and will be available in early 2006).
CBP presentation on C-TPAT benefits