BONNER PRESSES TRADE FOR BORDER, SUPPLY CHAIN SECURITY ASSISTANCE

BONNER PRESSES TRADE FOR BORDER, SUPPLY CHAIN SECURITY ASSISTANCE    U.S. Customs Commissioner Robert Bonner asked trade executives to team up with U.S. Customs to prevent legitimate supply chains, particularly seagoing containers, to be used as venues for weapons of mass destruction.
   Bonner, praising trade’s efforts thus far, said the government and industry must remain vigilant to keep terrorists from infiltrating cargo systems to import weapons of mass destruction, dangerous items or dangerous people into American ports of entry.
   “We must not let down our guard,” said Bonner, who addressed trade executives at a conference of the American Association of Exporters and Importers, in Manhattan Beach, Calif. He emphasized that a firm partnership between industry and government will safeguard security.
   The trade community, with its familiarity to other ports, cultures, and cargo supply chains, could assist Customs. “No one knows these systems better than you,” he said.
   While Customs is urging trade participants to help the agency in supply chain and border security, those who come to the front line to help Customs will be rewarded, he said. “They will, to the maximum extent we can, be given the fast lane.”
   Bonner praised his agency and the trade community for actions within the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT), which is steered by Andrew Maner, director of Customs’ Office of Trade Relations. “It’s a key part of our campaign to push the borders outward,” he said of the partnership.
   The U.S. government and trade need to establish an international security standard with the 10 largest seaports in the world for seagoing container security, and Bonner offered the first place to start such a practice. He said that the 10 largest seaports, or “megaports,” are responsible for launching half of the containers that enter the United States. Among that list are the ports of Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Rotterdam. (See related story: https://www.americanshipper.com).
   Bonner said that containers leaving these ports must be examined, based upon a high-risk assessment, coupled with a set of standards set forth on a government-to-government basis. “We ought to focus on these ports in establishing an international security standard,” he said.
   Bonner said that supply chain security should begin at a shipment’s port of origin before it leaves for America. Unfortunately, seagoing vessels are vulnerable to terrorists’ planting weapons of mass destruction that enter ports, and said that 7,400 containers daily enter the Port of Long Beach alone.
   Bonner said he foresaw an implementation of the government computer system for trade, the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), within four years. He said that ACE implementation would help matters of trade facilitation and security. He emphasized, however, that ACE will need adequate support from trade and sufficient funding as well. “It should, if it’s done right, reform the way that Customs does business with trade,” he said.