About

Secure Shipper is a member association that will help importers and logistics service providers meet the key needs of the modern supply chain: finding and screening certified and compliant business partners.
“The certified importers are at the top of the supply chain and they drive the entire process. As a result, they have significant advantages in the global trade, such as fewer cargo inspections and faster release of shipments from customs, “said Keith Stites, President of Secure Shipper LLC. “In order to maximize those advantages and to keep their certification status, they need certified and qualified business partners.”
“But the problem we have found in our consulting and auditing business is that it is extremely difficult to find certified partners and even more difficult to screen non-certified agents at the point of origin. That is why we developed Secure Shipper,” Stites explained.
U.S Customs officials say CTPAT certified companies lower their targeting scores significantly and average nearly 5% fewer inspections. When hooking up with other certified partners in a secure supply chain, they can further lessen the odds of an examination. With the average cost of an examination at about $1000, the savings can add up. For example, someone shipping 1,000 containers per year can save more than $100,000. There is also a significant time savings as inspections can take days to complete.
Secure Shipper was designed to help the trade solve these problems in the following way:
1.     Develop a member network of pre-screened service providers from across the entire supply chain, eliminating the need for costly and time-consuming screening procedures.
a.     In AEO (Authorized Economic Operator) markets, each Secure Shipper member will be identified as a certified AEO / CTPAT company. The screening is done by the respective customs administration in each country. If a company is certified, there is no need to screen them any further.
b.     In those countries where there is no developed AEO program, Secure Shipper’s unique process will pre-screen members, using standardized tools. This process may include an on-site audit to confirm the company’s compliance to CTPAT and AEO minimum security requirements.
2.      Promote the member network with the Secure Shipper Directory.
a.     Members will be listed on the site – www.secureshipper.com.  
b.     On the site, members can create private networks and exchange required security and shipping documents.
c.     Other companies involved in the shipping industry can use the directory freely to find a network member who meets their service requirements.
“By using members of the Secure Shipper Exchange, importers and shippers can build networks of pre-screened and compliant business partners, reducing the time and risk involved in trying to find qualified partners from the thousands of service providers in the global supply chain,” Stites said.