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Exporters to US, including those
from Malaysia, could face higher costs and
possible delays when a new US law aimed at 100
per cent scanning of US-destined containers in
foreign ports by 2012.
The new law, which will apply containers to
undergo full examination through a radiation
detector, regardless of its origin and contents,
when arriving at US ports.
The new radiation portal monitors to be
installed at all US ports will sniff out the
components of either nuclear bombs or so-called
“dirty bombs.”
The devices – described as 20-foot tall gateways
that look like a football goal – are designed to
detect nuclear material smuggled through ports
by terrorists.
More than 240 of the portals are already in use
at Canadian and Mexican border crossings, the
news service said.
Eventually, customs said it plans to install the
radiation portal monitors at all U.S. ports.
Shippers in Asia have complained that the new
law would create 'gridlock' at ports and its
implementation could slow down cargo and result
in 'gridlock at ports and airports'.
Shippers are likely to bear the brunt of
increased costs as carriers exploit their
position of strength over shippers in this
region.
The new law mandates 100 per cent screening of
all US-destined air cargo within three years and
sea cargo within five years.
Global Shippers Forum while supporting
initiatives that will 'safely secure and protect
vital trade lanes and ensure uninterrupted flows
of commerce', said the new law 'a giant mistake'
that will result in enormous costs to users,
suppliers and ultimately consumers.
Worse, the shippers say the extra costs will
come 'without accomplishing the very objective
that the scan-all requirements are seeking to
achieve'.
Shippers bodies also said the law 'looks
distinctly like a barrier to trade', which
raises questions as to whether it breaches World
Trade Organization (WTO) rules.
Such security measures should be addressed in
multilateral institutions like the World Customs
Organisation or the International Maritime
Organisation, noted the European Shippers
Council.
Shippers advocate following on from the current
approach, which is based on a multi-tiered risk
assessment through risk analysis and targeted
inspections.
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