ORLANDO--Although a Government Accountability Office report last month found holes in the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism program, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official remained optimistic.
GAO's report found that customs officials could not guarantee compliance among importers, port authorities and air, sea and land carriers participating in C-TPAT, a voluntary program established after 9/11 to deter terrorist strikes through the supply chain.
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During a session at the National Retail Federation's Loss Prevention Conference & Exhibition last week, Brad Skinner, director of the C-TPAT program, said members are revalidated every three years — adding that out of 8,394 certified partners, the agency has conducted 7,720 validations and suspended or removed 537 organizations, including 270 highway carriers.
William Tenney, group manager of international assets protection at Target Corp., said security is "critical to your international supply chain. C-TPAT is a good start, but if that is where your program ends, it is not enough."
Target is the second largest importer in the United States (behind Wal-Mart), he said, and its container value ranks in the $10,000s. It was one of the seven founding members of C-TPAT.
"For Target, this is not a voluntary program," Tenney said. "If you have a brand to protect, this is no longer voluntary."
Tenney said 45 percent of cargo volume is delivered through C-TPAT members, leaving more than half to travel by unvalidated businesses. "We need to go out and beat the drum," he said.
"We have a vested interest in ensuring all supply chains are equally secure," Tenney stressed. "If a Target container blows up, that's bad, and if a Wal-Mart container blows up, that is just as bad."
