Update on CBP's Recently Issued C-TPAT Guidelines for NVOCCs, OTIs, Foreign Manufacturers, Etc.
In April 2006, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) posted to its Web site six Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) Security Guidelines for the following trade sectors:
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
Licensed U.S. Customs Brokers
Air Freight Consolidators, Ocean Transportation Intermediaries (OTIs), Non-Vessel Operating Common Carriers (NVOCCs)
Manufacturers (currently only manufacturers in Mexico and other foreign manufacturers, by invitation only)
Air Carriers
Rail Carriers
U.S. Marine or Port Terminal Operators
C-TPAT Guidelines are "Precursors" to C-TPAT Criteria
According to CBP sources, each of these C-TPAT security guidelines is a "precursor" to the C-TPAT security criteria for a particular trade sector.
(This information updates earlier information received from CBP sources who stated that the terms guidance and criteria mean the same thing. BP has corrected its Online Archives to remove this erroneous information from earlier BP summaries.)
CBP Expects to Develop C-TPAT Criteria for Those Sectors With Guidelines
CBP sources note that they expect to develop C-TPAT criteria for the trade sectors listed above. Once the C-TPAT criteria are issued for a particular trade sector, CBP is expected to also issue an associated implementation plan.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 04/28/06, 05/01/06, and 05/02/06 news, 06042805, 06050110, and 06050220, for BP summaries of CBP's C-TPAT guidelines for Customs Brokers; NVOCCs, OTIs, and air freight consolidators; and foreign manufacturers.)
(In addition to issuing the guidelines discussed above, CBP has issued C-TPAT criteria for three other trade sectors - importers, highway carriers, and sea carriers. See ITT's Online Archives or 03/28/05 news, 05032810, for BP's summary of CBPs C-TPAT criteria for importers; 03/14/06 news, 06031405, for BP's summary of CBP's C-TPAT criteria for highway carriers; and 03/17/06 news, 06031705, for BP's summary of CBP's C-TPAT criteria for sea carriers.)