The implementation of the CSI comes into effect following Customs and government officials of the United States and Israel signed a declaration of principles on March 2007
Mr. David Huri, head the bilateral trade agreementdepartmentIsrael Tax Authority, said last week that Israel had commenced the implementation of the Container Security Initiative (CSI) at the port of Ashdod.
The implementation of the CSI comes into effect following Customs and government officials of the United States and Israel signed a declaration of principles on 26 March 2007 to help prevent smuggling of nuclear and other radioactive material.
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 in Israel.
The Container Security Initiative allows U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), working with host government Customs Services, to examine high-risk maritime containerized cargo at foreign seaports, before they are loaded on board vessels destined for the United States.
Containers from the ports are scanned for radiation and information risk factors before being allowed to depart for the United States. In the event of a detection alarm, both homeland security personnel and host country officials will simultaneously receive an alert.
Data gathered on containers bound for the United States in foreign ports participating in the Secure Freight Initiative will be transmitted in near real-time to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers working in overseas ports and to the Department’s National Targeting Center. This data will be combined with other available risk assessment information such as currently required manifest submissions, to improve risk analysis, targeting and scrutiny of high-risk containers overseas.
There are currently 52 foreign ports participating in CSI, accounting for 85 percent of container traffic bound for the United States.
