C-TPAT validations rose 27% in 2007

C-TPAT validations rose 27% in 2007    U.S. Customs and Border Protection audited 3,011 corporate supply chains in 2007 to verify whether importers were following their approved security plans under the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism.
   Twenty percent, or 601, of the on-site reviews were revalidations of participating companies that had been checked in prior years of the program, according to year-end program statistics published by CBP.
   Last year was the first time supply chain specialists conducted revalidations. The agency estimated at the beginning of the year that it would conduct twice as many revalidations, but it also ended up reviewing many more companies for the first time than it had anticipated (1,800). CBP’s policy is to revalidate companies every three years.
   The number of validations was up 27 percent from 2006 and nearly equaled the combined total of validations conducted during the first four years of the program (3,904).
   CBP also last year certified 2,601 new members in the voluntary program, which promises to reduce container inspections for companies that meet minimum supplier and transportation security standards. Seventeen companies achieved Tier 3 status, meaning they exceeded the minimum security standards by implementing extra best practices and are eligible for extra trade facilitation benefits.
   C-TPAT officials suspended or removed 112 companies from the program for security breeches or failure to meet C-TPAT’s minimum security criteria as revealed in the validation process. Of the 112 companies, 47 were either conditionally or fully reinstated after they demonstrated to CBP’s satisfaction that immediate and sustained corrective action had been taken, CBP said.
   Supply chain security specialists conducted validations in 79 countries.