U.S. Customs chief continues push for border strategy

U.S. Customs chief continues push for border strategy    U.S. Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection Robert Bonner spent part of last week in Britain speaking with Customs administrators and British officials about aligning border and cargo security programs with the Customs-Trade Partnership and other U.S. programs
   Bonner addressed the Customs World Conference in London and the Royal Institute of International Affairs, saying all countries share the responsibility of helping to prevent terrorism.
   “I would like to see the (European Union) join with us on the strategy to prevent, not just the U.S. from being hit, but to prevent the U.K. and Europe from being hit, as well,” Bonner said at the Royal Institute as part of his continuing effort to enlist other countries to join the Container Security Initiative and check cargo manifests 24 hours before vessel loading.
   He also met with U.S. consular officers at the U.S. embassy to promote the agency’s effort to promote professionalism in front-line workers and with inspectors stationed at the port of Felixstowe under the Container Security Initiative, a program for assisting foreign governments pre-inspect high-risk cargo before it is shipped to the United States, according to chief spokesperson Christiana Halsey.