CBP Officials Discuss the C-TPAT Validations in China at February 2008 COAC Meeting
During the February 13, 2008 meeting of the Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Related Homeland Security Functions (COAC)1, CBP officials discussed, among other things, the status of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) third party validation pilot in China and joint U.S.-China C-TPAT validations.
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Process to Establish Joint C-TPAT Validations in China Has Been Slow
CBP officials stated at the meeting that discussions with China regarding joint C-TPAT validations have been slow, with the U.S. and China continuing to engage in a dialogue on how the joint validation process will take place. CBP officials noted that they have identified the companies in China that they want to visit and have provided the list to China.
(During the 3rd U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue in December 2007, Chinese Customs and CBP were scheduled to hold technical discussions to agree on the joint C-TPAT validation procedure. At that time it was expected that the joint validations would begin in early January 2008, led by China Customs and with technical input provided by CBP2.)
3 Validations Have Been Performed Under Third-Party Validation Pilot in China
Although the Security and Accountability for Every (SAFE) Port Act (P.L.109-347) mandated CBP to develop a 1 year voluntary C-TPAT third-party validation pilot program3 in China, there has been little interest. Only 15 of approximately 300 eligible importers have expressed interest in participating in the C-TPAT third party validation pilot.
At the meeting, CBP officials stated that of those 15 interested importers, three have actually had a C-TPAT third-party validation performed in China. CBP officials note that the C-TPAT third party validation pilot is expected to end in June 2008.
See future issues of ITT for details on additional C-TPAT-related issues discussed at this meeting.
1Formerly known as the "Commercial Operations Advisory Committee."
2See ITT's Online Archives or 12/21/07 news, 07122199 1, for BP summary of a fact sheet on the 3rd U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue, which stated that joint C-TPAT validations in China were expected to begin in January 2008.
3See ITT's Online Archives or 08/01/07 news, 07080105, for BP summary listing the 11 validators selected for CBP's third-party validation pilot.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 10/17/07 news, 07101705, for BP summary of the CBP Commissioner's announcement that CBP would be allowed to perform C-TPAT validations in China.)
BP Note
American Shipper reports that CBP sources have stated that if ongoing talks are successful, they hope to begin joint validations with Chinese Customs by the middle of March 2008.
American Shipper article, dated 02/20/08, available at http://www.americanshipper.com/namaste/story_TN.asp?news=85534.