TheMIGroup's Commitment to Safety, Security and C-TPAT

"The battle against terrorism is and will be the highest priority for the US Customs Service."

- Commissioner Bonner

"If a container exploded at a port or somewhere else in the international transportation chain ending in the United States, this nation and its leaders would have no choice but to shut down the entire system of trade in our country."

- Rob Quartel, Former US Federal Maritime Commissioner

These two statements sum up the reasons why so many shipping containers are selected for intensive examination by the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection. 

The goal of terrorist organizations is to attack civilian society using existing infrastructure to cause economic disruption and mass casualty. September 11th demonstrated the magnitude of this escalating threat and the sophistication of the methods being used.

The goal of The Bureau of Customs and Border Protection is to take all possible precautions to minimize the opportunities for terrorists to compromise and corrupt legitimate shipping and infrastructure without impeding the normal flow of trade.

In April 2002, The Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) was formed as a result of an initiative between Industry and Government. C-TPAT is a cooperative endeavor, which calls upon the trade community to establish policies to enhance their existing security practices and those of their business partners involved in the supply chain.

Since the implementation of the C-TPAT program, over 2,000 members of the international trade community have become members and TheMIGroup led the relocation industry by being the first to sign a letter of undertaking with US Customs. In Canada, TheMIGroup has signed a similar memorandum of understanding with the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency and is one of only 111 companies across Canada to be accepted into the Partners In Protection Program, which is the Canadian equivalent of C-TPAT.

The benefits of membership of these programs on both sides of the border are:

• An opportunity to play an active role in the war on terrorism
• More secure environment to customers, supplier, and employees
• Reduced number of customs inspections

The reduction in the number of inspections means less additional, unbudgeted costs and less risk of damage as a result of physical handling.

As a committed participant in C-TPAT, TheMIGroup has not only heightened its own level of security but also continues to raise the overall level of awareness within its own supply chain and within our industry worldwide.

We encourage everyone in the international relocation industry, whether they are vendors, suppliers, or are human resources professionals responsible for relocation policies, to support the principles of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) and Partners in Protection (PIP).

Wider involvement and greater participation from all aspects of our relocation industry are essential if we are to reduce the high risk profile that is the cause of so many examinations, and inevitable expense and distress that follows.