U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Israel’s Customs Directorate cosigned the declaration that will bring CBP’s Container Security Initiative to the ports of Haifa and Ashdod
Customs and government officials of the United States and Israel signed last week a declaration of principles to help prevent smuggling of nuclear and other radioactive material.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Israel’s Customs Directorate cosigned the declaration that will bring CBP’s Container Security Initiative to the ports of Haifa and Ashdod in Israel.
Representing CBP at the signing was Assistant Commissioner Jayson Ahern. Signing for Israel was Mr. Ami Segal, Director General of the Israeli Customs Directorate.
Doron Arbely, Israel’s Tax Authority’s Senior Deputy Director General of Investigations, Intelligence and Drugs, also attended, as well as Mr. Robert Stiriti, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Attachי in Rome.
Following the signing of this declaration, the two nations will work to fully certified the two ports during the next six months.
CSI has 50 operational ports throughout the world, representing 32 international governments. These ports are the origin of more than 80% of the cargo shipped to the United States.
In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, U.S. Customs Service began developing antiterrorism programs to help secure the United States.CSI addresses the threat to border security and global trade posed by the potential for terrorist use of a maritime container to deliver a weapon. CSI proposes a security regime to ensure all containers that pose a potential risk for terrorism are identified and inspected at foreign ports before they are placed on vessels destined for the United Sates.
The CSI initiative seeks to: Identify high-risk containers; Pre-screen and evaluate containers before they are shipped; Use advanced technologies to prescreen high-risk containers; and
Utilize tamper-proof containers.
CBP Commissioner W. Ralph Basham said following the signing ceremony: “We are committed to using high-tech equipment and smarter, more secure containers to safeguard the supply chain, and realize that cooperation from our friends around the globe is our most potent weapon.” The
