The BASC was created to address the problem of concealing contraband in commercial trade. As a voluntary program for businesses, with no government-imposed mandates, corporate participants are expected to follow BASC’s security standards which are designed to significantly improve their security practices and in the process deter contraband smugglers and terrorists from using their companies to introduce contraband and implements of terror in legitimate shipments.

The BASC program examines the entire process of manufacturing and shipping of merchandise from foreign countries to the United States, emphasizing the creation of a more security-conscious environment throughout the supply chain. The BASC currently has over 2,500 companies that have been certified by the organization. And it operates in 12 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean: Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico, Panama, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and Venezuela.