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