Carper, Cornyn Introduce Bill to Strengthen Cross-Border Trade, Guard Against Terrorism

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) joined U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) in reintroducing the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) Pilot Program Act, legislation to create a pilot program to strengthen the CTPAT program within the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

“I am proud to join Sen. Cornyn in introducing the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) Pilot Program Act, a commonsense bill to improve the efficiency and reliability of our supply chains,” said Sen. Carper. “The C-TPAT program has already proven successful in safely expediting the customs clearance process for trusted merchants. By expanding access to this program, we can reduce congestion at ports of entry while strengthening our national security – a win-win!”

“In order for America to remain competitive in global markets, we must ensure our ports are open, efficient, and secure,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This legislation would provide ways for trusted trading partners to expedite the transport of cargo important to Texas’ economy while protecting against illegal goods, national security threats, and unfair trade practices.”

CTPAT was created as a part of the SAFE Port Act of 2006 to support secure cross-border trade through a fast-track, customs clearance process for trusted merchants who voluntarily submit themselves to enhanced security screening measures. The legislation would create a pilot program that would allow up to 20 trusted non-asset and asset based, third-party logistic providers (3PLs) to become CTPAT certified. The carrier companies would work with Customs and Border Protection to become CTPAT certified by meeting additional security requirements and participating in inspections throughout the cargo transit process.

Background:

This bill builds on Senator Carper’s work to improve the efficiency and reliability of global supply chains. Last year, Senators Carper and Cornyn led a hearing on supply chain resiliency in the U.S. Senate Finance Committee’s Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness. During the hearing, Doug Potvin, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Trinity Logistics, testified and called on the Senate to pass the Custom Trade Partnership Against Terrorism Act. Last Congress, the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) Pilot Program Act passed the Senate by unanimous consent.

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