US importers want to scrap scanning rule altogether

US importers are calling to scrap a container-scanning rule, which would affect each of the 10m ocean containers that enter the US annually, and which has recently been delayed for two years.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a requirement, mandated by the SAFE Port Act of 2006, which requires all US-bound ocean containers to be scanned at the foreign port of origin, but this has been pushed back to 2016.

However, numerous industry associations, representing the likes of freight forwarders, customs brokers, agricultural products and alcoholic beverages, have called for a repeal of the mandate, plus a new focus on “practical supply chain security solutions.”