WEISE: CUSTOMS PLAYS VITAL ROLE IN ANTI-TERRORISM

WEISE: CUSTOMS PLAYS VITAL ROLE IN ANTI-TERRORISM    Former U.S. Customs commissioner George Weise, on Thursday applauded President Bush’s $40-billion package to aid in relief efforts in the wake of last week’s terrorist attack. Weise stressed that the U.S. Customs Service needs more support to keep up with the changing times and threats to national security.
   Weise stressed that the U.S. Customs Service not only aids in processing of cargo in and out of the United States, it also serves as a stopgate for terrorists who would try to bring contraband into the United States. He praised the Customs Service for still functioning in the difficult recent times. “Customs is open for business, but it will not be business-as-usual,” he said.
   Customs would benefit from receiving funds from Bush's $40-billion package, Weise said. “That is a pretty significant infusion. Hopefully, Customs will be beneficiaries of this.”
   Globally, customs agencies will probably shore their resources more to thwart future attacks, Weise predicted. “One thing I think that will come out of this is that you are going to see enhanced cooperation, not only among the countries of the world, but, specifically, the customs administrations of the world. A lot of these countries feel as though, ‘this could happen to us.”
   Weise, vice president of Global Trade Compliance at Vastera Inc., a global trade management firm, held a teleconference with Vastera’s Larry Christensen and Peter Luitt, President and chief executive officer of Livingston International, a trade service provider.
   Customs needs to be viewed as a contributor to anti-terrorism efforts, and is in need of more funding and manpower, said Weise, who was Customs Commission from 1993-97. “They need more money to do their mission. Certainly they needed it before this tragedy. And in light of it now, they need it even more. I can assure you that Customs is trying to get more people at the borders.”
   Peter Luitt of Livingston International added that, after last week’s tragedy, shippers between New York and Canada will be scrutinized heavily by border officials and that they will be “enforcing compliances more than ever before,” he said.