Cargo Security Laws Could Be Costly

As reported by Agence France-Presse, new security laws requiring all cargo containers bound for the U.S. to be scanned for radiation or weapons, could be a financial blow to consumers, said Jayson Ahern, deputy commissioner at U.S. customs and border protection.  The new laws, which are set to be fully enforced by 2012, demand countries to scan each of the estimated 18 million yearly, U.S.-bound cargo containers before leaving their port of departure.

With more than three quarters of the world’s trade, in terms of volume or weight, moved by sea,  experts say that at best, it could add around a billion dollars annually even before the laws come into effect.

Congress, pushed by the findings of the commission set up to analyze security failings that led to the September 11, 2001 suicide attacks, insists on 100% container scanning.  But Ahern said that the current risk management approach, where around 3% of containers are examined, is an efficient method, even though he conceded that 100% scanning could be used in high-risk zones.

“One hundred percent scanning does not equal 100% security,” Ahern said.  “A risk management process is also less disruptive of trade.”