"Security can be a facilitator of commerce if it's done the proper way."  Commissioner Basham U.S. Customs & Border Protection

The Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) is a voluntary, government-trade partnership administered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

C-TPAT aims to partner with the private sector to better strengthen the global supply chain.

C-TPAT members agree to develop and implement a verifiable, documented program to enhance security procedures throughout their supply chain and then communicate these practices to all business partners and employees within their supply chain.

C-TPAT members are certified into Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 status with increasing levels of security integration.