Last month, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano revealed the Obama Administration’s National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security (Strategy). The Strategy aims to:
- Promote the efficient and secure movement of goods, and
- Foster a resilient global supply chain system that can withstand evolving threats, and rapidly recovery from disruptions.
The Strategy should also increase chemical security within the global supply chain.
To meet these goals, the Strategy calls on the U.S. Government to “...understand and resolve threats early in the process, and strengthen the security of physical infrastructures, conveyances and information assets, while seeking to maximize trade through modernizing supply chain infrastructures and processes.”
DHS and the State Department will now lead a 6-month engagement period with industry stakeholders and the international community to solicit feedback and recommendations on how best to implement the Strategy. After 12 months, DHS will develop a consolidated report on the status of the Strategy’s implementation.
The Strategy follows on the heels of other successful international programs, such as Program Global Shield (PGS), the joint international effort aimed at eliminating the smuggling of chemicals commonly used in Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacks. PGS has resulted in the seizure of over 62 metric tons of chemical precursors and 31 arrests related to the illegal diversion of these chemicals since its inception in 2010. The global supply chain continues to be an attractive target for terrorist attacks and criminal exploitation. International efforts such as the Strategy and Program Global Shield are critical to ensuring the continued secure, reliable movement of goods and services across our borders.
Ryan Loughin is Director of Petrochemical & Energy Solutions for the Advanced Integration division of ADT- www.adtbusiness.com/petrochem. He provides security education to CFATS and MTSA-affected companies and is a member of the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association (NPRA), Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Associates (SOCMA), Energy Security Council (ESC) and American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS). Loughin has also completed multiple levels of CVI Authorized User training (Chemical-Terrorism Vulnerability Information) which was authored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
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