Forwarders ‘not surprised’ by US container scanning climbdown

“As BIFA has said repeatedly, the DHS has consistently underestimated the enormity of the task in hand relative to the costs both to the US Government and those of foreign governments, as well as, importantly, the limited ability of contemporary screening technology to penetrate dense cargo, or large quantities of cargo in shipping containers,” said O’Connell.

“Couple this to the fact, that by the DHS’ own calculations, some 86% of cargo shipped to the USA originates from only 58 of more than 700 global ports, and there is clearly a compelling argument to scale down their unrealistic aspirations, he added.”

BIFA’s comments are in response to the recent news that US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said her department would be unable to meet a congressionally-mandated 2012 deadline for scanning all US-bound ship cargo for potential WMD ingredients.