Effective 15 October 2008, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will require all containers in transit to the U.S. to be secured with a high-security seal. Importers are responsible for ensuring their containers
are sealed according to regulations. Although this is a new regulation, it is important to note that it is not a new industry practice, as virtually all maritime cargo containers entering the U.S. are already secured with a high-security seal as mandated by C-TPAT.
C-TPAT’s minimum security criteria for importers state that “at point of stuffing, procedures must be in place to properly seal and maintain the integrity of the shipping containers. A high security seal must be affixed to all loaded containers bound for the U.S. All seals must meet or exceed the current PAS ISO 17712 standards for high-security seals.” A high-security seal is defined in ISO/PAS 17712 as a “seal constructed and manufactured of material such as metal or metal cable with the intent to delay intrusion…generally must be removed with quality bolt cutters.” C-TPAT also requires that importers conduct a comprehensive assessment of their international supply chains based upon the C-TPAT security criteria, and endorses the application and implementation of security measures based upon the risk analysis.
APL recommends that customers moving high value and/or sensitive cargo adopt an added level of security by using an indicative (non-keyed) theft deterrent barrier seal. These barrier seals are stronger, made of heavier metal, and can be breached only by using industrial-strength power cutting tools. Examples of indicative theft-deterrent barrier seals include those manufactured by Navalock and OneSeal (Hair-PIN 2000).
The use of barrier seals can reduce the possibility of:
Cargo theft or tampering Unauthorized material being inserted into the container
Delays that result when seals are missing or broken
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