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Known operator & supply chain security - how to keep freight moving

OPERATORS MUST ADAPT TO THE NEW TRANSPORT SECURITY ENVIRONMENT

The business of exporting to the United States will soon require total security of Supply Chains. The security of the chain between shipper and port will be no exception. Only operators who can guarantee the security of consignments from the moment they are collected from the customer to the point they are discharged will continue to function competitively in these trades.

At present there is no industry benchmark which offers instantly recognized and complete confidence that an operator has taken every measure necessary to protect itself and the supply chain from use by terrorists. It is no longer enough for companies to rest upon their reputations. A certificate of proven competence and diligence is needed. This must be internationally acknowledged, as a guarantor of specific compliance standards in security. These standards must be developed and endorsed by government and industry alike.

FTA believes that a voluntary ‘Known Operator’ system which audits companies according to their attention to security will enable carriers to satisfy in advance new security demands, and gain a crucial hallmark for operational integrity in a radically tightened transport market. Shippers and Operators have not only to ensure that their operations pose no threat to transport security but also that this is recognised. A Known Shipper/Known Operator supply chain could well be the key to guaranteeing that freight keeps moving.

The principles set forward in this document follow closely ideas being developed by the United States’ Customs Trade Partnership against Terrorism (C-TPAT) initiative and within the WCO. Both systems should be compatible. Industry, though must prepare itself now and consider what actions need to be taken to gain Known Operator status.

THE SUPPLY CHAIN TODAY

This represents a highly simplified picture of a supply chain

THE KNOWN OPERATOR/SHIPPER SUPPLY CHAIN

This represents a highly simplified picture of a supply chain

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Last updated: Wed Jul 21 14:32:25 2004