New, Lower-priced Program Helps Automotive Companies Move Cargo Faster at Border Crossings

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The Automotive Industry Action Group in Southfield has unveiled a new pricing plan for automotive importers and their suppliers to move cargo more quickly at international border crossings. The Supply Safe Program helps companies comply with the federal government’s Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism — a certification that qualifies them as a low-risk threat to transport freight at borders.

“With four OEMs now involved, Supply Safe has been highly successful and was touted as a best practice by the U.S. Customs Border Patrol,” says Lang Ware, director of supply chain products and services for the Southfield-based organization. “With this program, manufacturers go through shorter lines to pass through customs.”

Ware says participating OEMs include Toyota Motor North America, Honda of America, FCA US LLC, and General Motors Co. He says the new tiered pricing, starting at $3,500, will be based on an organization’s number of trade partners, and is open to non-members of the action group. The program includes the first common industry questionnaire for the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, tailored for each type of supply chain partner including highway, rail, ocean carriers, customs brokers, freight forwarders, and third-party logistics service suppliers.

Ware says other Supply Safe benefits include no cost to supply chain partners and threat assessment information for all countries. Changes to the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism program are monitored and automatically incorporated into the system.

Ware says that virtually any company that brings goods across the borders, such as aerospace and food services, can qualify for the action group’s Supply Safe program.