WASHINGTON — Commissioner Kerlikowske attended the 13th Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) National Conference where he spoke to more than 1,200 attendees. The theme of the 2014 conference was “CTPAT: Partnering in Supply Chain Security and Facilitation for the 21st Century.” The conference was held in San Antonio and offered CPAT members the opportunity to network and attend workshops that focus on best practices.
“By extending the United States' zone of security, CTPAT allows for better risk assessment and targeting of incoming cargo resulting in a more secure global supply chain,” said CBP Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske. “This is only possible due to the partnerships CBP has been building and strengthening with industry.”
The Commissioner also met with the conference’s international delegates. This special session provided the unique opportunity for international attendees to engage with their counterparts from around the world in a smaller setting. Participants from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Uruguay, Mexico, South Africa, Taiwan, and Peru among others, shared valuable experiences and differing viewpoints.
CTPAT, established in 2001, seeks to safeguard the world's trade industry from terrorists while maintaining the economic health of the United States and its neighbors. The partnership develops and adopts measures that facilitate security without sacrificing an expedient trade process, a difficult balancing act. Today, more than 10,000 certified partners have been accepted into the program and account for over 50 percent of the value of imports to the United States.