CUSTOMS COMMISSIONER STRESSES NEED TO PROTECT U.S. BORDERS

CUSTOMS COMMISSIONER STRESSES NEED TO PROTECT U.S. BORDERS    U.S. Customs Commissioner Robert Bonner told members of the trade    community that U.S. commerce must flow in and out of the United States, but not at the expense of national security.
   Although the United States has tightened its border security since September, this was not a signal that national security is impenetrable to terrorists who could use cargo as a means to carry out harmful acts, Bonner said.
   “We must not be lulled into a false sense of security,” he said.
   Bonner said he wanted to see a strong partnership between the trade community and Customs to ensure that commerce and trade remain steady, while ensuring safety for all Americans. He proposed that U.S. Customs and trade should coordinate in this effort, while at the same time he was confident both bodies will see this through. “It’s a daunting challenge to be sure, but it needs to be addressed. I am confident of success.”
   Bonner stressed that this partnership must address security through means of efficient communication and security standards. Security could be enhanced by more timely manifest information, increased security measures during transport of cargo, and even by the use of electronic seals on cargo that could discourage tampering. Bonner said neither trade should not suffer in this process of ratcheting up security. “We must be careful not to choke off trade,” Bonner said.
   He added that terrorists will go to any means to harm Americans, and that this could include smuggling goods through cargo. This contraband, he said, could include chemical and biologically dangerous goods, and other types of weaponry. Bonner said that Customs and the trade community must keep a watchful eye on all participants in the supply link chain, and “not just for months, but for years to come,” he said.
   Bonner said that, since Sept. 11, every port of entry has been staffed with at least two armed inspectors, 24 hours a day. It is still that way, he said, and will continue for an indefinite time. “We are going to remain on Level One alert for the foreseeable future,” Bonner said.