Best Practices Ctpat

HOW C-TPAT IDENTIFIES BEST PRACTICES
Best practices in a general sense are innovative security measures that exceed the C-TPAT minimum security criteria and industry standards. In order for best practices to be effective, they should include high-level managerial support, employ a system of checks and balances, and have written and verifiable policies and procedures. C-TPAT personnel haveconducted over 8,000 validations and site visits since the publication of the 2006 Supply Chain Security Best Practices Catalog. The dynamic trade environment and diverse business models of C-TPAT partners have presented the program with new best practices. Included in this pamphlet is a snapshot of new best practices recently identified by the program.

THE BENEFIT OF ADOPTING SECURITY MEASURES
Thebest practices outlined in this document, if adopted, will protect the security of member companies as well as their economic health. As the global supply chain grows more secure, the United States will become more effective and efficient at preventing terrorists, terrorist weapons, narcotics, and other contraband from entering the country. This, in turn, prevents costly interruptions in the freeand fair flow of trade.

OUR MISSION
As a core trade program within CBP, our mission is to:
• Prevent terrorists and/or terrorist weapons from entering the United States by partnering with members of the trade community to enhance the security of their international supply chains, with priority focus on foreign manufacturers through CBP clearance process. • Facilitate the flow of legitimatecargo through the provision of partner incentives and benefits, while allowing CBP resources to concentrate on higher risk shipments. • Internalize the core principles of supply chain security through cooperation and coordination with members of the international community, while simultaneously supporting and facilitating other CBP security initiatives (e.g., Free and Secure Trade, SecureFreight Initiative, and Container Security Initiative).

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations C-TPAT Program 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20229 (202) 344-1180 industry.partnership@dhs.gov Please visit the C-TPAT Portal’s Document Library CBP Publication No. 0000-0823 April 2009

Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism
Best Practices Update 2009RESPONDING TO OUR MEMBERS
Many organizations participating in C-TPAT have asked for updated information about today’s best practices in supply chain security, and in this brochure we have responded to this need. Thanks to your participation, the C-TPAT program has been a tremendous success, generating high levels of participation among industry partners, who are doing their part to enhance securitypolicies and procedures at their facilities. In fact, the program has succeeded so well, and the industry has evolved so rapidly, that many of the best practices published in the 2006 Supply Chain Security Best Practices Catalog have essentially become the new industry standard. Even if you cannot immediately adopt all of the best practices shown here, the more that you can put into practice, themore secure your operations will be—and the greater your potential for eventually reaching Tier 3 status. We encourage you to review the recommendations contained here and implement as many as make sense for your organization. If you have any questions about these recommendations or the C-TPAT program, please contact your Supply Chain Security Specialist at the CBP .

THE WAY FORWARD
In 2006,C-TPAT published a Supply Chain Security Best Practices Catalog, which continues to serve as a valuable tool for the trade community. Building on this foundation, C-TPAT will continue to provide updated best practices on a regular basis via the program’s secure web portal.

“C-TPAT is dedicated to meeting the needs of our members while also promoting the highest possible level of cargo security....