Role of C-TPAT Membership Increasing as MRA with Israel, Trusted Trader Pilot Move Forward
The role of Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) membership within international trade is growing, not declining, even as other programs emerge, said Lauren Kaufer, director of the C-TPAT program at CBP, during the American Conference Institute's Import Compliance and Enforcement forum on June 13. As an example of C-TPAT's expansion, Kaufer noted CBP is planning to finish up a mutual recognition arrangement (MRA) with Israel during a World Customs Organization event at the end of the month and is hoping to finish up another MRA with Mexico by the end of the year. CBP announced work toward a MRA with Israel in 2012 (see 12121007) and with Mexico last year (see 13012215).
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The increase in Authorized Economic Operator countries and MRAs with the U.S. may lead to decreased work for CBP around the world related to revalidations for C-TPAT members. While there is a legal requirement for validation and revalidation of C-TPAT members, "our work in foreign locations is going to really start to dwindle" as the U.S. strikes more MRAs, she said. Still, there will always likely be some validation work done outside the U.S. "because there's always going to be companies that for one reason don't opt to join, or there will be countries we don't have an MRA with," she said.
The new Trusted Trader pilot program, which combines the C-TPAT and Importer Self Assessment programs, is a means to bring the other government agencies within C-TPAT's reach, said Kaufer. C-TPAT is "here to stay" and serves as the "building block" for subsequent programs, such as Trusted Trader, which was announced in June 16 Federal Register notice (see 14061320). "There's going to be lots of big programs, lots of new ideas, but no matter what, we are the foundation" for membership in other programs, whether CBP programs or other government agencies, she said.
CBP has accommodated C-TPAT member requests that the supply chain security specialist be located at a certain port, rather than a Center for Excellence and Expertise located elsewhere, said Kaufer. As the CEEs were being set up, the specialists were "matrixed" out for certain industries, though not physically located there, she said. "One of the things we got was a number of complaints, because a lot of people become very comfortable with their supply chain security specialist," so when requests came in regarding a moved specialist, the specialists were reassigned back to where they were, she said. "I don't know necessarily if that's something that's going to continue on, but if its something that concerns you, we're here, we listen," she said.