Hamburg seaport prepared for ISPS code requirements

Hamburg seaport prepared for ISPS code requirements    Europe’s second-largest container seaport said it’s ready to meet the newest security obligations under the International Maritime Organization by the mandated summer deadline.
   “We are prepared for the new international requirements,” said Jurgen Sorgenfrei, chairman of the Port of Hamburg Marketing Association, to reporters in Washington Monday. “We can fulfill and will fulfill. We will be on top of the development.”
   The IMO requires country members to adopt all aspects of the International Ship and Port Facility (ISPS) Code by July 1. The ISPS Code requires that a security assessment be undertaken to identify all possible risks to ships and port terminals. Based on this report, security plans are created and implemented to protect vessels, ports and terminals, depending on the level of terrorist threat.
   Hamburg has significantly expanded its cargo business to the Baltics in recent years. Some Baltic ports may not be ready for compliance with the ISPS Code by the July 1 deadline. Sorgenfrei told American Shipper that Hamburg will set aside terminal space, if necessary, for German Customs to physically check containers from ports that don’t comply.