Managing Imports and Exports

To join or not to join the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) is a question much on import professionals’ minds these days. Not only are C-TPAT supply-chain security standards fast becoming the “good housekeeping seal of approval” in global trade best practices, but companies in the program may well be gaining a competitive advantage over rivals that aren’t members. The central question since the inception of C-TPAT has always been: Is there an actual payoff for all the hard work of qualifying for membership, in the form of faster clearance, fewer cargo exams, and more efficient and transparent global supply chains?