Irvine, CA October 8, 2002 To further ensure the integrity of its security practices within the supply chain, Toshiba America Electronic Components Inc. (TAEC) announced the company has met guidelines and been awarded the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) certification from the United States Customs Service.
C-TPAT, a joint government-business initiative, is designed to build cooperative relationships that strengthen overall supply chain and border security. TAEC is the first semiconductor company and only the fifth importer in the United States to receive this high-security certification.
TAEC is considered to be a low-risk importer. In order to attain C-TPAT certification, the company did a complete analysis of its supply chain product flow, detailing the company's procedural, physical and personnel security, as well as instructing all its factories, carriers and forwarders to complete the C-TPAT surveys. TAEC implemented additional procedures in its U.S. warehouse that included access controls, regular security audits and personnel criminal background investigations. The certification process took approximately five months to complete and has resulted in a reduced number of inspections and faster overall time through Customs.
TAEC said it is committed to monitor its security procedures and update its action plans to continue to meet C-TPAT guidelines. The company said it is also going to move forward into new programs, such as the Importer Self Assessment (ISA) program. The ISA program will allow TAEC to perform its own governmental audits.
"As a low-risk importer, we believe our strong relationship with Customs is a critical portion of our supply chain efficiency that ensures smooth product flow with minimal delays or oversights," said Lisa Cortes, director of logistics at TAEC. "It is also an important part of our corporate responsibility to play an active role in strengthening supply chain and border security."
In a statement to the House Appropriations Committee last February, U.S. Customs Commissioner Robert Bonner stated, "I am pleased to tell you that we are entering into a partnership with some of the biggest U.S. importers. This Customs-Trade partnership will vastly improve the security along the supply chain, from the factory floor, to foreign suppliers, to our land borders and seaports. C-TPAT builds on past, successful trade models between Customs and the trade."
