LONDON — Following the 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S., European ports, like their American counterparts, have focused on stepping up the physical security of their facilities and better assessing the risk of a container’s contents.
Several global initiatives are now looking to illuminate every link in the cargo chain by pushing security measures beyond port fences.
Initial security measures to detect tampered cargo centered on analyzing the risk of containers’ declared contents and any prior intelligence about the shipper. The next step, proposed by the International Maritime Organization in 2002, was the International Ship & Port Facility Security Code. Since being implemented in July 2004, 116 countries have been signed up to the ISPS code, which has brought about the appointment of port facility security officers and ship security officers, the implementation of security plans and checks when the ships depart.
“It starts with screening the ships before they get into port,” said a spokesman for the port of Amsterdam, who explained that all ships entering member ports must have an ISPS certificate, indicating that they have been security checked by officials at their port of origin.
It also logs the last 10 ports the ships have visited. In the U.K., this program is run by the Department for Transport’s security directorate, or TRANSEC, and the Marine and Coastguard agency, which said it works with companies to minimize the impact on cargo flow.
“TRANSEC is aware of the potential costs and commercial implications to industry,” said the government body in a statement. “The U.K. government has worked hard to provide as much support and guidance to industry as possible to help with implementation of the code.”
The added security checks at ports are reflected in surcharges for companies shipping goods.
In addition, a European Union regulation on supply chain security was proposed in February. Under the proposed regulation, companies could voluntarily allow background checks to be performed on company directors, their logistics chain and transport methods in exchange for having their shipments fast-tracked through customs. However, some industry sectors fear the voluntary basis of the program will exclude smaller shippers who cannot afford the cost of researching their supply chain.
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“We would like to see a compulsory minimum level of security checks, rather than companies applying for ‘Secure Shipper’ status on a voluntary basis,” said Patrick Verhoeven, secretary general of the European Seaports Organization. “The good companies will get better, but the bad links in the chain will stay as they are.”
Verhoeven said the regulation proposal was similar to the U.S. Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism program, to which some European companies doing business with the U.S. also belong.
“As long as there’s not a delay in getting retailers accredited, [the proposed regulation] will speed up shipments,” said Michael Gallagher, policy executive at the British Retail Consortium. “Our concern is that, as the proposal isn’t mandatory, people won’t get ready on time. We’re advising our members it’s better to be safe than sorry, to guarantee continuity in their supply chain.”
On a global level, the World Customs Organization introduced standards to secure and facilitate global trade framework, also known as SAFE, in June 2005, which looks into the security of closed cargo transport units. The framework recommends the introduction of advanced electronic information on shipments, risk management to address security threats, the inspection of high-risk containers before they leave their port of origin and benefits to businesses that meet security standards.
There is no fixed date for the framework to come into force, but the WCO recommends that governments implement it “as soon as possible.” European ports, including Amsterdam and Rotterdam, also participate in the U.S. Container Security Initiative, whereby U.S. customs officials assist in screening U.S.-bound high-risk cargo at foreign ports.
To create further transparency in the supply chain, several private companies are developing RFID technology that would allow customs officials to detect the exact location of a package, how long it has been waiting at a port and whether or not it has been opened. Though industry experts say this is unlikely to come into force in the near future.
“Mandating specific measures, such as electronically checking [cargo] seals, would depend on how [individual] contracting governments decide,” said a spokeswoman for the International Maritime Organization, which invited the World Customs Organization to consider measures to enhance security in the movement of cargo transport units.
“[The new cargo security measures] have made life very difficult, as it creates a whole new level of administration,” said Laurian Davies, women’s wear executive at U.K. Fashion Exports, a U.K. trade association. “But manufacturers have to provide the information, as they want the business.”