Container Security Initiative | 11.28.2005 | 08:56:56 | Views: 4320 | ID: November 28 '05: As the world becomes interconnected, and access to goods increases, the risks and possibilities of would-be terrorists hiding dangerous materials and weapons of mass destruction inside cargo containers has spurred the Department of Homeland Security and the US Customs and Border Patrol to find ways to secure the cargo being shipped into the US. Late in November, the CBP announced a new security initiative designed to "protect the global trading system and the trade lanes between Container Security Initiative (CSI) ports and the US," according to a press release from the CBP. Details of the CSI include using intelligence and "automated information to identify and target containers that pose a risk for terrorism," - one of the goals is to find any danger before in the port of origin, the CBP said. To date, more than 9 million cargo containers are sent to the US every year, and almost 90 percent of the total cargo shipped globally is through maritime trade routes. Additionally, CBP works with international ports and governments to secure container security. Programs like the Export Control and Related Border Security plan designed by DHS are "focused on preventing the spread of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and the means to deliver these weapons," through cooperation with foreign governments. CBP agents are also sent to work with participating foreign ports and provide training and help communicate potential dangers back to the US and DHS. Those CBP agents will also oversee the screening process for cargo being shipped to the US. For more information, visit the US Customs and Border Protection page - www.cpb.gov.
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