Its purpose: to establish a pathway to signing a mutual recognition agreement. CBP deputy commissioner said it was another example of the enduring friendship and vital partnership

The agreement calls for faster, improved customs regulations while tightening surveillance on unauthorized products

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

The overall project which has been given an approximate cost of US$12.4 mill, will be completed in July 2009. US$8 million of the total cost will come from the USA anti terror program

The port of Ashdod became the 54th operational Container Security Initiative. The initiative seeks to identify high-risk containers and prescreen and evaluate containers

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

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

Israel is expected to sign within three weeks a declaration of principles committing itself to participate in the overseas inspection program