The post-quota regime has been posing new business challenges to apparel manufacturers here as they have now to comply with more and more business standards set by the U.S. buyers under non-tariff barriers. One among the feature in the ‘‘bouquet of standards'' is the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT), a joint initiative supply chain security programme between the U.S. government and businesses involved in importing goods into the U.S.
The Textiles Committee, a body under the Union Ministry of Textiles, is all set to kickstart a large-scale campaign in the Tirupur cluster to popularise certification standards like C-TPAT among the entrepreneurs and thereby help improve overall competitiveness of ‘Brand Tirupur' in the U.S. market in a socially responsible manner.
Certifications like C-TPAT had been gaining significance, especially in a scenario when cases of heroin and other contraband transported by concealing them in buttons and collars were getting reported from many parts of the globe.
To comply with the C-TPAT norms, the Textiles Committee will give advisory support to the entrepreneurs to profile their supply chain and carry out audit of goods handled apart from the techniques to look at the procedural, physical and personal security and packing manifest. Closed circuit televisions would have to be set up in the apparel units to monitor handling of goods at every stage of the production chain. “The initial outlay of money and time to get the employees trained under C-TPAT system will be worth in the long term considering the supply chain efficiency,” Mr. Dhandapani said.
The C-TPAT membership, according to Mr. Dhandapani, offers many tangible benefits too like relaxation in customs inspection and preferential treatment even an inspection is needed. The committee also has plans to propagate business ethics followed in the European Union.
