A bill that aims to increase security and decrease wait times at the nation’s ports of entry was recently introduced in the House by U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ).
The legislation specifically addresses issues with the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program, a global supply chain security initiative led by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that seeks to improve the security of private companies’ supply chains against terrorist activities.
Originally established as part of the SAFE Port Act of 2006, the program involves companies voluntarily partnering with CBP in order to protect supply chains, identify security gaps, and implement security measures and best practices. After vetting each applicant, CBP then visits each site to validate the implementation of the agency’s security criteria.
Under McSally’s bill, once a company can prove they meet CBP’s criteria for security standards, they are entitled to shorter wait times and fewer inspections at ports of entry. According to a release from McSally, pre-vetting companies will help streamline the process at each port.
The act also reauthorizes C-TPAT for the first time in 11 years and ensures the program is updated to meet dynamic threats currently facing the global supply chain.
“CBP’s partnership with entities throughout the global supply chain helps ensure high standards of security, and it also streamlines cross-border commerce by pre-vetting companies, allowing their cargo to be expedited through our overburdened and undermanned ports of entry,” McSally said. “It’s been eleven years since this program first began, and it is time for it to be updated to reflect our modern global economy.”