Haifa Customs: New Container Scanning Facility Inaugurated

The new $US12.4 million scanning facility will enable customs to check 160 containers per day, 20 per hour, compared to 40 per day previously
 
A new $US12.4 million state-of-the art container scanner has been installed at the Haifa port to facilitate clearing of containers and enhance the quality of services delivered to customers.
 
The port of Haifa in Israel became on September 25, 2007, the 55th operational Container Security Initiative – CSI, port to target and pre-screen maritime cargo containers destined for U.S. ports.
 
During the inauguration ceremony held last week, in the presence of Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, Deputy Finance Minister Yitzhak Cohen, Yehuda Nasradishi, Director General Israel Tax Authority, Doron Arbeli, Head of Custom Directorate, Mendi Zaltzman CEO Haifa Port Ltd & Roni Bar-Sinai, Director Haifa Customs, Finance Minister noted that cargo security technology increases the screening and security of containers against acts of terrorism and generate productivity benefits for the economy and profits for ports, shippers, carriers and ultimately the consumers.
 
Roni Bar-Sinai, Director Haifa Customs, noted that the new scanning facility will enable customs to check 160 containers per day, 20 per hour, compared to 40 per day previously.
 
The Container Security Initiative, launched after the terrorist attacks of 2001, is a cooperative effort with host country governments to identify and screen high-risk shipments before they leave participating ports. More than 80% of all cargo containers destined for U.S. shores originate in or are transshipped through 60 CSI ports in North, South and Central America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
 
The initiative seeks to pre-screen and evaluate containers before they are shipped. Containers are screened as early in the supply chain as possible, generally at the port of departure.
 
The initiative also seeks to use technology to prescreen high-risk containers to ensure that screening can be done rapidly without slowing down the movement of trade. This technology includes large-scale X-ray and gamma ray machines and radiation detection devices.