WEISE: ANTITERRORISM MECHANISMS URGENT FOR SUPPLY CHAIN

WEISE: ANTITERRORISM MECHANISMS URGENT FOR SUPPLY CHAIN    A former U.S. Customs commissioner told international customs officials and shipping executives that terrorists are likely analyzing weaknesses in the international supply chain.
   “The problem is real and in my judgment there’s a greater sense of urgency than we realize,” said George Weise, currently vice president of global trade compliance for Vastera, to attendees at a World Customs Organization/International Chamber of Commerce meeting in Brussels Tuesday.
   During his time as U.S. Customs commissioner in the early 1990s, drug smugglers conspired to use cargo shipments of shippers that the agency considered compliant.
   Weise said he’s concerned that terrorists may attempt to do the same in their attempts to smuggle bombs and other destructive devices into the United States and other countries fighting terrorism.
   “In order for us to be successful (against terrorism in the supply chain), we’re going to have to share the cost between government and the industry,” Weise said.
   Weise also recommended that customs administrations become “export oriented” in their supply chain security approach. Unlike illegal narcotics, weapons of mass destruction should be dealt with when they reach the destination port, he said.