Panama signs up for CSI

Panama signs up for CSI Panama has agreed to help the United States combat the smuggling of nuclear and radioactive material by joining the Container Security Initiative and the Megaports Initiative, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Monday.
   Large-scale X-ray machines and radiation detection arrays will be set up at the ports of Colon, Manzanillo and Balboa to conduct non-intrusive inspections of targeted containers.
   Under CSI, CBP uses shipping data and intelligence to identify high-risk shipments, and officers stationed at the foreign port request local customs authorities to conduct an outbound inspection on their behalf prior to vessel loading.
   The Megaports Initiative is a Department of Energy program to loan radiation portal monitors, and provide installation and training to other countries to protect against smuggling of nuclear material or devices.
   There are 50 CSI partner ports around the world representing about 82 percent of all ocean cargo shipped to the United States.