Prior to the new policy, carriers flying commercial cargo into the US were not required to provide information on their cargo to U.S. Customs and Border Protection until a short time before landing. Now, carriers must now send information before loading the plane. This updated policy allows the agency additional time to track and identify items that pose a homeland security threat, as well as reduce disruptions to cargo shipments who might otherwise be forced to provide return transport to items barred from entry upon arrival. These policies and others like it have been in place for cargo arriving from many parts of the world, and U.S. Customs has claimed that this advanced screening has prevented “a substantial amount of high-risk cargo” from entering the country.
Source: US imposes new security measures on incoming cargo shipments
