C-TPAT and ISA, Understanding the Effectiveness of Trade Partnerships for Customs Enforcement

This study addresses the question of whether U.S. Customs and trade laws can be enforced through partnerships with importers in this era of dramatically increasing trade volumes, global threats to the supply chain from terrorism, and a shrinking work force for the U.S. Customs Service. Are management-based regulations an effective trade compliance and cargo security tactic? If so, can the import community apply the required diligence to ensure the program (such as C-TPAT or ISA) is effective as outlined by Customs? Lastly, do these Customs partnerships and methods for ensuring compliance negatively affect the flow of legitimate trade or enhance them?