New Kensington, Pennsylvania-based Leed’s, a member of Polyconcept North America, the second largest supplier within the promotional products industry, announced it has taken the next step to further secure its international supply chain by participating in an overseas audit and achieving Tier II certification with the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT). In 2008, Leed’s earned Tier I C-TPAT membership, which is achieved through the self-reporting of secure import and business practices, followed by customs’ verification that minimum security standards are being met. Tier II C-TPAT certification requires customs audits at overseas vendors, which until recently were not possible in China. In 2008, Chinese officials allowed for U.S. customs agents, accompanied by Chinese customs agents, to conduct audits for the first time at Chinese factories. Leed’s participated in the second of these joint U.S.-Chinese audits in November 2009, making Leed’s among the first U.S. importers of Chinese goods to reach Tier II certification.
C-TPAT is a voluntary initiative between business and the Department of Homeland Security, designed to enhance U.S. border and international supply chain security. In addition to helping assure the safety of Leed’s products and employees, many benefits can result from C-TPAT certification, including fewer inspections of shipments, greater accuracy in predicting lead time, and shorter wait times for carriers at the border. According to Larry Whitney, manager of trade compliance for Leed’s, “As one of the top importers of promotional products, this achievement is a validation of our ongoing efforts to ensure the integrity and quality of our supply chain.”
For more information on Leed’s, visit www.leedsworld.com.
