Four more join U.S. Maritime Security Discussion Agreement

Four more join U.S. Maritime Security Discussion Agreement    Four organizations — Safmarine Container Line NV; China Shipping Container Lines, Co., Ltd.; Alabama State Port Authority; and Lambert’s Point Docks Inc. — have joined the growing Maritime Security Discussion Agreement group of port authorities, terminal operators and ocean carriers active in U.S. ports.
   The discussion group includes most of the independent container terminal operators and carrier-affiliate port operators in the U.S.
   Late last year the Massachusetts Port Authority, responsible for the port of Boston, and French carrier CMA CGM, also joined the security forum group. They were followed by APM Terminals North America Inc., an affiliate of the A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S group, which became a new member earlier this year.
   The agreement now has 41 members.
   One of the items to be discussed by the group is whether to introduce security fees to recover the additional costs of security that were not funded by the federal government, according to an agreement member.