Sep 11, 2026 · 4 min · 3 segments
Customs brokers and importers are gatekeepers to our country's security and safety. Since 9/11, CBP's partnership programs have recognized, and especially now must increasingly value, the critical…
Lenny FeldmanHost
Today we look back 25 years to September 11, 2001, to the profound loss and uncertainty our country encountered.
and to the brave first responders who answered the call in the face of unimaginable tragedy.
In the aftermath, the Department of Homeland Security was created, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection developed programs such as CTPAT to partner with the trade community, the eyes and ears of the international supply chain, to help prevent future threats.
At this week's CBP Trade and Cargo Security Summit, one theme came through clearly.
CBP recognize that customs brokers and importers serve as security gatekeepers.
They map supply chains to help ensure that cargo is not compromised by terrorists or smugglers and that merchandise classification, origin, and value is declared properly.
Put simply, supply chain visibility and data integrity are now just as critical as container and conveyance security.
CBP also emphasized that trade systems are an extension of our physical borders.
It drew a sharp distinction between parties that falsify documents or make little effort to know who is in their supply chain and trusted traders that exercise responsible supervision and control, reasonable care, and meaningful due diligence.
With approximately 13 million importers in CBP's system and 15,000 customs brokers, some bad actors will inevitably try to exploit it.
Yet even amid the troubling scheme CBP described, it recognized that the vast majority are good actors.
More than ever, those good actors are being asked to support a system in which tariffs have become a cornerstone of geopolitics and economic security is integral to secure borders.
As we remember the government's critical role in protecting our physical and virtual borders, we should also recognize the business community, especially the customs brokers and importers who helped carry out this mission.
It remains an equal privilege to work with so many well-intentioned, hardworking, resourceful, and simply put, good customs brokers and importers.
Every day, they promote the U.S. economy, reduce threats, and strengthen our national security as partners to the federal government.
Today we look back 25 years to September 11, 2001, to the profound loss and uncertainty our country encountered.
and to the brave first responders who answered the call in the face of unimaginable tragedy.
In the aftermath, the Department of Homeland Security was created, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection developed programs such as CTPAT to partner with the trade community, the eyes and ears of the international supply chain, to help prevent future threats.
At this week's CBP Trade and Cargo Security Summit, one theme came through clearly.
CBP recognize that customs brokers and importers serve as security gatekeepers.
They map supply chains to help ensure that cargo is not compromised by terrorists or smugglers and that merchandise classification, origin, and value is declared properly.
Put simply, supply chain visibility and data integrity are now just as critical as container and conveyance security.
CBP also emphasized that trade systems are an extension of our physical borders.
It drew a sharp distinction between parties that falsify documents or make little effort to know who is in their supply chain and trusted traders that exercise responsible supervision and control, reasonable care, and meaningful due diligence.
With approximately 13 million importers in CBP's system and 15,000 customs brokers, some bad actors will inevitably try to exploit it.
Yet even amid the troubling scheme CBP described, it recognized that the vast majority are good actors.
More than ever, those good actors are being asked to support a system in which tariffs have become a cornerstone of geopolitics and economic security is integral to secure borders.
As we remember the government's critical role in protecting our physical and virtual borders, we should also recognize the business community, especially the customs brokers and importers who helped carry out this mission.
It remains an equal privilege to work with so many well-intentioned, hardworking, resourceful, and simply put, good customs brokers and importers.
Every day, they promote the U.S. economy, reduce threats, and strengthen our national security as partners to the federal government.
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