Sea Containers Barred From Ships to U.S.

Newsday.com ^ | Feb. 13, 2003 | JEANNINE AVERSA

[FairOpinion]

WASHINGTON -- The Customs Service refused to let 13 sea containers destined for the United States be loaded onto ships at foreign ports because of insufficient details about their contents, a violation of a new federal rule.

The agency says it needs timely and accurate manifest information to effectively evaluate and identify cargo that may pose a risk to U.S. security.

With 5.7 million cargo containers entering U.S. seaports each year, Customs says it is critically important to prevent terrorists from using sea containers to smuggle nuclear, chemical, biological or other deadly weapons into this country.

[FairOpinion]

Another example that a lot is indeed being done about border security. Checking containers in the foreign ports, before they even get to the US is a great idea.

[eyespysomething]

From the article:
Most carriers, however, seemed to be in compliance with the new rule. Of the paperwork reviewed on more than 142,000 sea containers last week, Customs found just the 13 containers that presented a problem.

Under the regulation, sea carriers must provide details of the contents of containers destined for the United States 24 hours before the cargo is loaded onto ships at foreign ports.
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This is a good idea, but if all they are going on is written documentation, one could easily lie. I hear people who are trying to smuggle weapons into America might do that. Or lie to the shipping companies about the cargo, and then the shipping companies wouldn't be lying, just repeating what they know.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Read it carefully. Th regulations don't require that the containers actually be inspected, just that their contents must be documented.

[Sender]

Oh cmon now, terrorists wouldn't lie on the paperwork, would they?

Contents: device, nuclear
Status: armed, boobytrapped
Food/FDA item: no
Shipper: Ummah Distributors Inc
USA Destination: any/not important