100 pc container scanning seen impractical by logistics players

Shipping lines and other logistics industry players have dismissed as "impractical and hugely expensive" the US plan to secure 100 per cent container scanning at the port of export (to the US) by the legally-mandated deadline of 2012.

They pointed out that such a move, the enormous cost of which far outweighed the potential benefits, would bring world trade to a halt.

Besides, the available technology was just not up to the mark and many ports would have to reconfigure themselves completely to host the equipment.

Also, other countries would inevitably bring in retaliatory measures.

It is estimated that if the policy is implemented, it would entail the installation of 2,100 scanners worldwide at $8 million a piece.

The scanning policy is apparently based on the scenario that terrorists might try to smuggle a weapon of mass destruction into the US inside a shipping container. While that is a possibility, the sceptics point out that if this option is thwarted, terrorists could well find alternative means of bringing such a weapon into the country.

According to the industry players, the earlier US administration had a much more realistic plan to screen a pre-determined percentage of incoming cargo on the basis of risk assessments.

It has already been hinted by the Homeland Security Department that the implementation date of the policy may be rolled back by at least two years.(source Eximin)

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