volumes of cargo, some might end up building stand-alone
screening areas, complete with X-ray or explosives trace
detection (ETD) machines that identify high-risk cargo.
The cost could range from $30,000 to $500,000 per facility,
depending on the quantity and sophistication of the equipment, according to Fried of the Airforwarders Association.
At the June 30 hearing, Mike Middleton, executive vice
president of Secure Global Logistics, a Houston-based integrated logistics company, told lawmakers that his firm had
spent about $400,000 on equipment, staff training, and
implementing security measures to comply with the inspection mandate. And the tab can run much higher. Arway said
Deutsche Post DHL spent millions of dollars in 2009 to
purchase ETD machines after deciding that X-ray equipment produced too many false positives.
Shippers, on the other hand, may not have to go to such
lengths. Many shippers already examine their shipments as
part of their daily manufacturing processes and have securi-
ty equipment installed and inspection procedures in place. In
some cases, joining the CCSP could be as simple and inex-
pensive as erecting a fence around an open area and having it
designated a certified screening facility, according to Fried.
a tangled web of cargo security rules
The story of air-cargo security is, in reality, two stories.
The first has largely been written. As of Aug. 1, all air
cargo scheduled to fly from any U.S. airport in the lower
decks, or “bellies,” of passenger planes must be screened
or inspected before being allowed on board. The law covers all domestic cargo as well as export shipments flown by
U.S. or foreign-flag carriers.
The second has yet to play itself out. It involves the
screening or inspection of cargoes departing foreign airports bound for the United States. It is a complex, tangled
affair involving issues of national sovereignty and paranoia.
And it may take several years to write.
The 2007 law requiring the screening or inspection of
U.S. belly cargo also set an Aug. 1, 2010, deadline for the
examination of all air-freighted goods loaded on passenger
planes at foreign airports. However, meeting that deadline
would prove to be impossible, due to the difficulty in harmonizing multiple security regimes.
Several months ago, administration officials discussed
the possibility of setting a Dec. 31, 2010, deadline to meet
the mandate. That, too, was quickly withdrawn. At a congressional hearing on June 30, the Transportation Security
Administration (TSA), which oversees the cargo security
program, said it would take about three years to achieve
100-percent examination of inbound belly cargo. Currently,
about 62 percent of all inbound cargo is being inspected
before loading, according to TSA estimates.
For U.S. and foreign governments, the first order of busi-
ness may be to resolve the “Catch 22” that currently exists
in the global security net. Many of the United States’ trad-
ing partners have supply chain security programs in place.
However, they are unwilling to share information about
those programs with other countries—including the United
States—because of their sensitive nature. The TSA has said
that unless it gains access to the details of foreign govern-
ments’ screening provisions, it cannot determine if they
meet U.S. requirements, and thus cannot recognize them.
