U.S, New Zealand sign mutual recognition pact
The United States and New Zealand last week consummated an arrangement to cooperate on cargo security along internationally accepted standards.
As previously reported by Shippers’ Newswire, the respective customs agencies have agreed to mutually recognize each other’s industry partnership programs for encouraging companies to tighten internal controls on cargo shipments in exchange for reduced scrutiny on a per shipment basis. Under the arrangement, New Zealand will verify the security controls of exporters who have applied to the program, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection will qualify the results for similar treatment in its Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism rather than send its own verification teams because of its confidence in New Zealand’s enforcement program.
Under C-TPAT, imports from certified New Zealand companies will receive fewer inspections at the border in the same manner that shipments from U.S. C-TPAT importers are treated.
CBP Commissioner Ralph Basham and New Zealand Customs Service Comptroller Martyn Dunne signed the agreement in Brussels during the annual meeting of the World Customs Organization, which two years ago developed the framework of supply chain standards on which the arrangement is based.
It is the first example of mutual recognition between governments in the supply chain context.