In a significant shift for global trade security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has launched a five-year pilot program that will allow third-party logistics providers without physical assets to participate in its trusted trader initiative for the first time.
The Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT), originally established to strengthen U.S. border security, has historically been limited to logistics companies with tangible assets such as manufacturers, importers, and carriers. The new pilot marks a strategic expansion to include freight forwarders and warehouse-based 3PL providers that play crucial roles in modern supply chains.
CTPAT operates as a voluntary cooperation program between CBP and private enterprises, designed to identify and mitigate risks throughout supply chains while preventing terrorist activities and illegal trade. By incorporating non-asset based 3PLs—which serve as critical connectors between various trade participants and manage substantial information and goods flows—the initiative aims to address potential security gaps in increasingly complex global trade networks.
Participants in the pilot program must meet rigorous security standards, including establishing comprehensive security management systems, conducting thorough risk assessments, and implementing appropriate safety measures. In return, qualifying 3PLs will receive operational benefits such as priority inspections and reduced customs examination frequencies, potentially lowering costs while improving efficiency.
This policy evolution reflects growing recognition of non-asset based logistics providers' strategic importance in contemporary trade ecosystems. Their inclusion will enable CBP to gain more complete visibility into supply chain operations and better identify emerging security threats. The pilot's outcomes may inform future expansions of the CTPAT program and could influence the development of global supply chain security standards.