INDUSTRY GROUPS ASK BUSH TO ADEQUATELY FUND U.S. CUSTOMS

INDUSTRY GROUPS ASK BUSH TO ADEQUATELY FUND U.S. CUSTOMS    Three of the United States’ biggest shipping industry groups asked President Bush in a letter Friday to provide sufficient funds to meet U.S. Customs’ security initiatives in the coming year.
   The groups said they were working closely with U.S. Customs in its effort to secure the international supply chain against terrorist attack. These security programs include the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism and the Container Security Initiative.
   “This is a significant change and a more sound cargo security strategy than today’s inspection of cargo at U.S. ports of discharge,” said the letter signed by Edward Emmett, president of the National Industrial Transportation League; Christopher L. Koch, president and chief executive officer of the World Shipping Council; and Kurt J. Nagle, president and chief executive officer of the American Association of Port Authorities.
   “As you consider the next budget proposal for Congress, we urge your administration to ensure that the Customs Service is provided the level of resources necessary to effectively implement its new strategies and initiatives,” the industry group leaders told President Bush. “Without adequate resources, Customs’ ability to fulfill these missions will be impaired, and the continued, efficient movement of American trade could suffer.”