US security seal ruling kicks in

Non-compliance will result in special scrutiny and delays KEVIN MAYHEW A MANDATORY ruling by the United States Customs (Customs) that all maritime containerised cargo entering the US from foreign points of origin be secured with an accredited high security barrier seal that meets international criteria, kicked in last month. According to Kent-based MD of ITW Envopak and contributor to the international committee determining the requirements of the initiative, Bob Kirby, this is in line with the ongoing roll-out of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) initiative. C-TPAT is being introduced by America’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following the perceived threat posed by extremist groups after the September 11 World Trade Centre strike. Kirby said meeting the conditions of the initiative was voluntary, but it stood to reason that compliance would make America-bound container logistics easier. As the intention is to reward partners in the programme for the additional effort and possible cost, the major benefit of compliance will be speedier processing of containers entering the United States. “C-TPAT is a supply chain security programme for international cargo and conveyances. It increases security measures, practices and procedures throughout all sectors of the international supply chain,” he told a briefing for the logistics industry organised by Vikela Aluvin, the sales and marketing division of seal manufacturers, Aluvin Securiseal. In short, partners in the initiative have been pre-screened by the American authorities to establish their compliance with new security measures. These partners are then entrusted with the task of extending the reach of the measures by monitoring their partners in the supply chain. So far C-TPAT members account for 75% of the world’s 200 million container movements annually worldwide. Members include carriers, licensed brokers, 400 non-US domiciled manufacturers and 51 port authorities, including Durban. “From this month, if containers coming into the US do not have the correct seals, they will be set aside for special scrutiny, significantly delaying delivery,” he explained. He advised exporters, when choosing seals, to ensure that they were ISO-17712 compliant for tensile strength, shear, bend and impact and validated by a certified third party. The move affects exporters, carriers, brokers, warehouse operators and manufacturers.