C-TPAT for Sea Carriers: Requirments from Business Partners
Sea carriers shall also have procedures to review their customer's requests that could affect the safety of the vessel or the cargo or otherwise raise significant security questions, including unusual customer demands, such as specific stowage placement onboard the vessel (beyond a request for below deck or on deck stowage).
Security procedures
Sea carriers must have written or web-based procedures for screening of new customers to whom they issue bills of lading, which identify specific factors or practices, the presence of which would trigger additional scrutiny by the sea carrier, up to and including a detailed physical inspectionof the exterior of the suspect customer's container prior to loading onto the vessel.
These procedures may also include a referral to CBP or other competent authorities for further review. CBP will work in partnership with the sea carriers to identify specific information regarding what factors, practices or risks are relevant.
Sea carriers should ensure that contract vessel services providers commit to C-TPAT security recommendations. Periodic reviews of the security commitments of the service providers should also be conducted.
Container Security
For all containers under the sea carrier's custody, container integrity must be maintained to protect against the introduction of unauthorized material and/or persons. Sea carriers must have procedures in place to maintain the integrity of these shipping containers while under their custody.
A high security seal must be affixed to all loaded containers bound for the United States. All seals used or distributed by the sea carrier must meet or exceed the current PAS ISO 17712 standards for the high security seals.
Sea carrier and/or their marine terminal operators must have processes in place to comply with seal verifications rules and seal anomaly reporting requirements once promulgated and mandated by the US government.
Container Inspection
The requirements to inspect all containers prior to stuffing (to include all the reliability of the locking mechanism of the doors) is place upon the importers through the C-TPAT Minimum Security Criteria for Importers dated 25 March 2005.
Sea Carriers must visually inspect all US-bound empty containers, to include interior of the container, at the foreign port of lading.
Container Seals
Written procedures must stipulate how seals in the sea carrier's possession are to be controlled. Procedures should also exist for recognizing and reporting compromised seals and/or containers to US CBP or the appropriate foreign authority consistent with the seal anomaly reporting requirements once promulgated and mandated by the US government.
Container Storage
The sea carrier must store their containers in their custody under a secure area to prevent unauthorized access and/or manipulation. Procedures must be in place for reporting of detected, unauthorized entry into containers or contrainer storage areas to appropriare local law enforcement personnel.
