U.S. CUSTOMS? CSI OPERATIONAL IN BREMERHAVEN, HAMBURG

U.S. CUSTOMSÆ CSI OPERATIONAL IN BREMERHAVEN, HAMBURG    U.S. Customs’ Container Security Initiative is operational in the German container ports of Bremerhaven and Hamburg.
   CSI was implemented by U.S. Customs early last year. The initiative requires bilateral agreements with other customs administrations to target and pre-screen high-risk containers in overseas seaports before they are shipped to the United States.
   Armed with advance cargo manifest information and non-intrusive inspection equipment, U.S. Customs inspectors work with their overseas counterparts in the CSI ports.
   “We are getting CSI implemented in those ports that have signed on,” U.S. Customs Commissioner Robert C. Bonner said. “We will continue to deploy teams to the participating ports as quickly as possible.”
   CSI became operational in the Canadian ports of Montreal, Halifax and Vancouver in March 2002; Rotterdam on Sept. 2; and Le Havre on Dec. 2. The Port of Antwerp is expected to be operational by Feb. 25.
   To date, 18 of the top 20 megaports have committed to joining CSI and are at various stages of implementation. These ports handle about two-thirds of the international container traffic bound to the United States.
   Other CSI-designated ports include Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Pusan, Tokyo, Genoa, Yantian, Nagoya, La Spezia, Felixstowe, Algerciras, Kobe, and Yokohama.
   Recently, the customs administrations of Malaysia and Sweden joined CSI. In Europe, CSI will be expanded to at least 11 container ports.