Plans by the United States to introduce 100 percent screening of cargo coming into US ports, mentioned in SITPRO News earlier this year, are now set to become a reality that will affect ports around the world.
The new law will require screening of all cargo on passenger planes within three years and a target of five years has been set for scanning of all shipping containers for nuclear devices before they leave foreign ports. Cargo containers bound for the US leave from over 600 ports worldwide and this legislation requires the screening of all these containers for radiation.
Despite initial opposition, the "Improving America's Security Act of 2007" was approved by the US House of Representatives in January and was subsequently passed by the Senate in July. The Bill finally received Presidential approval on 3 August, passing it into law as Public Law No 110-53.
Opposition to this law has come from all quarters including strong condemnation from the EU Commissioner responsible for Taxation and Customs, László Kovács, who said, "Experts on both sides of the Atlantic have already considered this measure to be of no real benefit when it comes to improving security while it would disrupt trade and cost legitimate EU and US businesses a lot of time and money."
SITPRO has always stressed the importance of improving risk analysis and an increased emphasis on intelligence and information sharing to combat perceived threats. Prior consultation with the trade both in the US and in key trading partners would help create a more measured and layered approach to cargo security.
Return to SITPRO News: Issue 61, Summer 2007
