Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Announces Secure C-TPAT Smart Container Program
Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection (CPB) Robert C. Bonner announced the creation of a C-TPAT Smart Container program at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection 2003 Trade Symposium held last week in Washington, DC. The Commissioner stated that 'smart' containers need only have two minimum attributes: (1) they must be securely sealed, and (2) they must be tamper-evident. He indicated that a C-TPAT "Smart Box" is not expensive, doesn't require high technology and can be achieved with an ISO high-security bolt seal. He indicated that the C-TPAT smart container will meet three minimum requirements:
1. A sensor inside the container,
2. That CBP can read either at a Container Security Initiative (CSI) port or on arrival, and
3. That says whether the container has been opened or not.
The Commissioner indicated that CPB has identified a few major C-TPAT certified U.S. importers to adopt the C-TPAT smart container. He indicated that the smart containers could be in use as early as December 2003. While the Commissioner indicated that not all C-TPAT members are expected to use the "Smart Box" right away, he predicted that the "Smart Box" will become a C-TPAT best practice "reasonably soon."
|posted by Douglas N. Jacobson| Permalink 
