C-TPAT

QUESTION: We are a midsize importer with over 400 foreign vendors and our CTPAT revalidation is coming due. Our SCSS has informed us of some regions that they may visit. One of our top suppliers in a specified region is refusing to allow the possibility of a CTPAT visit. Unfortunately this happens to be a […]

We are a CTPAT certified/validated importer and have a customer who wants us to sign a verification letter that we are CTPAT certified and will be throughout the term of the purchase agreement, which is over multiple years. Their terms state that if we lose certification it will constitute a material breach which could allow […]

QUESTION: Our company has been a member of CTPAT for over 5 years.   The majority of our shipments are sent by air, and the limited number of ocean shipments are not usually selected for exam.   Due to limited resources, we are thinking about removing our company from the CTPAT program.   Can anyone […]

QUESTION: We were told by CBP that we would have out C-TPAT revalidation this year.  CBP has chosen one of our suppliers in Indonesia.  Our revalidation will be in Nov.   Does one of the Compliance team have to/should accompany CBP?. What will be CBP be looking for and expect from out supplier? What should […]

QUESTION: Due to the changes in the C-TPAT security profile, we are reviewing our current supplier questionnaire to ensure we are asking the “right” questions.  T The questions we ask were provided to us by a consultant  a few years ago but would like to benchmark against others.  Would anyone be willing to share their […]

QUESTION: Our VP is refusing to consider C-TPAT, because someone at a major convention (supposedly a C-TPAT member)  told him that they had been fined by Customs because of a guard issue. I have NEVER heard of fines associated with C-TPAT, only the loss of privileges or tier status – that I can understand – […]

QUESTION: We are looking at leasing some warehouse space in our shipping off-season, but we are C-TPAT. Has anyone done this sort of thing and been C-TPAT and how was the leased space segregated? ================== ANSWERS: Require that the company you lease to also be C-TPAT (if an importer / exporter). ================ Much more detail […]

QUESTION: Does the community have any recommendations on how handle C-TPAT with a distributor who supplies imported product?   Are bulk shipments excluded from C-TPAT? ========== Answers: Domestic distributors don’t appear to be a business partners eligible for C-TPAT certification (carriers, ports, terminals, brokers, consolidators, etc.) However, if your entity is C-TPAT certified, you should […]

QUESTION: Wondering what the current practice is for importer representation at foreign factory re-validation. Although Customs told us the importer need not be present, we want to have representation at the revalidation of the foreign factory. We are wondering whether or not the US Primary Point of Contact and three foreign based SSR Managers is […]

QUESTION: Calling all Tier 3 importers. Anybody willing to share some best practices which convinced your SCSS to grant your company Tier 3 status?  ========== Answers: There are many variables to this puzzle, not just a couple of items. The majority categories of considerable exceeding the minimum requirements would be physical security, supplier/business partner management, […]

QUESTION: Does anyone in the community have a written procedure for the inventory, proper installation for internal use as well as for how business partners are required to use them for cargo bound for the US? ************* Answers: for C-TPAT purposes, be careful “volunteering” too much info to CBP, as they will make it mandatory […]