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In a move aimed at further strengthening the fight against terrorism involving the maritime industry, a significant step has been taken by three of the world's biggest container port operators to collaborate on deploying physical tracking equipment.
Hutchison Port Holdings, PSA Port Holdings and P&O Port Holdings last week joined the US Strategic Council on Security Technology in founding the "Smart and Secure Tradelanes" initiative.
Under the arrangement, the port operators will work with shippers and shipping lines to track and authenticate containers from point of manufacture, load and transhipment port to discharge in the US.
The three operators will fund the deployment of hardware including electronic seals, sensor devices and scanners which will enable web-based tracking of ocean-going shipments in real time.
According to the US Transportation Security Agency deployment is to begin immediately and could be operational by the end of the year.
Under the web-based application, an automated IT infrastructure linking Singapore, Rotterdam and Hong Kong with the principal US ports will be the result.
The programme will be serviced by Savi Technologies, trade law consultants Sandler Travis, Satcoms and GPS specialist Qualcomm and engineers Parsons
Brickerhoff.
The three port operators, which own, control or manage more than two dozens ports around the world accounting for 70 per cent of the world's container port operations.
It is not know if Hutchinson Port Holdings, which has 30 per cent stake in Westport, Port Klang will extent the security application to the Malaysian port as well.
Following the move by the port operators, global ocean carriers could be expected to respond by fitting transponders and smart seals to containers as standard.
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