Private industry takes the lead with technology to secure the nation’s ports. More than 90% of world trade travels in containers aboard ocean-going ships. About 20 million containers move through 220 ports around the globe every year. Six million enter U.S. ports each year-that’s 17,000 a day. Any stop along the way could be an opportunity for a terrorist to slip something destructive into one of those containers. Since Sept. 11, 2001, port operators, carriers, companies that ship goods, and other businesses involved in ocean transport have spent millions of dollars coordinating their security efforts. But they complain that government agencies charged with securing the country’s borders and transport systems have yet to fully address security concerns, and some fear that the Transportation Security Administration, which is just beginning to study the issue, may undercut their efforts with incompatible technologies or requirements. “It’s frustrating … that more hasn’t been done,” says Steve Sewell, president of PB Ports & Marine Inc., which provides engineering services to the shipping industry. “There doesn’t seem to be the focus or agreement on [security] that’s needed. That applies not only to the U.S. government but to other governments whose ports are sending containers to the U.S.” Full Story
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