U.S. Shipping Security Bill Rankles Importers

Commercial importers have objected to security requirements in a new U.S. national security bill, the Financial Times reported today (see GSN, July 20).

The legislation, which has yet to pass Congress, would require foreign seaports within five years to conduct radiation screening of all cargo heading toward the United States.  Screening of air cargo would be required within three years.

The bill was drafted to improve upon previous legislation that some lawmakers saw as too weak on the threat posed by container-borne terrorist attacks.  However, importers argued that the bill’s provisions would weigh down an already congested cargo pipeline, the Times reported.

Shipping industry opposition views the requirements as too stringent and technically unfeasible. 

Former Homeland Security official Stewart Verdery said the technology does not even exist to scan cargo in the volume proposed. 

National Retail Federation vice president Erik Autor was also skeptical about Homeland Security’s ability to quickly review the millions of inspections images the plan could generate each year.

The bill is just “political theater” and antagonistic to U.S. trade partners, said James Carafano of the Heritage Foundation (Sevastopulo/Wright, Financial Times, July 25).

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