CTPAT for Exporters to Launch May 17

Excerpt from: International Trade Today | May 11 2015

CBP will open the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism to exporters on May 17, said the agency in a recent CSMS message (here). Potential benefits for will include prioritized export shipments, global security partnerships, heightened facilitation from mutually recognized customs partners, access to CTPAT sponsored security seminars, and reduced examinations, it said. Joining the program is free, and CTPAT supply chain security specialists “are ready to assist” exporters in “securing the supply chain while remaining productive,” said CBP.

The rollout will enable “export-only” companies to receive CTPAT benefits, CBP has said. Companies that import as well as export have been able get benefits under the mutual recognition
arrangements (MRAs) with Japan and the European Union. Eligibility criteria include that the exporter must be active and based in the U.S., with a documented export security program and a
good compliance record, CBP has said. Minimum security criteria for exporters interested in the program is (here).

The launch of the CTPAT exporter program will come on the heels of CBP’s deployment of phase II of CTPAT 2.0. The rollout of phase II will “restructure the security profile function into individual line items” in order to “prevent potential applicants from having to conduct redundant work by completing the security profile twice,” and will also make it possible to “merge multiple CTPAT accounts into a single Security Model,” according to the agency.