Cargo Crime Fight Grows

Membership is growing in a worldwide organization dedicated to stopping cargo crime.

The Transported Asset Protection Association claims more than 600 companies have joined to date, including many of the world’s leading manufacturing brands as well as their logistics and transport providers with combined annual sales of over $900 billion.

TAPA in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region has attracted 36 new members so far in 2009, taking its total membership in the region to an all-time high of over 260 companies. UPS is the latest to join.

“We look forward to working with the security professionals from other transportation industry stakeholders and manufacturers to further develop safeguards and standards to improve and enhance global supply chain security,” said Howard Stone, Europe region SCS and aviation security for UPS.

“While other associations have seen their membership drop off as businesses have cut back, TAPA EMEA is going from strength to strength,” said Thorsten Neumann, chairman of TAPA.

“We are continuing to provide real benefits to members through crime intelligence, enhanced security standards, networking opportunities and our continued dialogue with bodies such as the EU on the compatibility of our Freight Security Requirements (FSR) with AEO. Just as importantly, we are seeing record attendances at our conferences and no shortage of volunteers for task groups which I believe indicates TAPA’s success in producing measurable benefits that can be clearly linked to improving the bottom lines of our members,” Neumann said.

According to its latest data for second quarter 2009, TAPA EMEA members reported 525 incidents of crime with a total loss value of $18.2 million.

Contact Thomas L. Gallagher at tgallagher@joc.com.