U.S. Customs and Border Protection Assistant Commissioner Jayson Ahern and Domestic Nuclear Detection Office Director, Vayl Oxford joined Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Michael Jackson and House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter King in unveiling the newest radiation portal monitors that will be used to inspect some of the nearly 11 million cargo containers entering U.S. seaports every year.

    These U.S.-made detection devices will provide CBP officers more tools to keep terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the country.

    “Keeping our nation’s seaports safe by using cutting edge technologies is a critical component in securing America’s borders,” said Ahern. “Radiation portal monitors are bridging the gateways to a radiation and nuclear-free global environment by allowing highly trained CBP officers to better deter, detect and defend Americans from a potential terror attack.”

    CBP operates more than 680 radiation portal monitors at U.S. ports (including 214 radiation portal monitors at seaports), uses more than 174 large scale non-intrusive inspection devices to examine cargo, and has issued 566 hand-held radiation isotope identifier devices and nearly 13,000 personal radiation detectors for CBP officers working at ports across the country.

    “At the Committee on Homeland Security, port security remains our top priority,” King said. “We must do everything in our power to prevent another terrorist attack on U.S. soil. That means working with DHS to strengthen our domestic security measures, improving capabilities to target high risk containers, and providing our ports with the most advanced security technology, such as mobile Radiation Portal Monitors.”

ACE rollout

    On May 6, 2006, U.S. Customs and Border Protection concluded installations of the Automated Commercial Environment in Texas. All 13 land border ports in the Lone Star state, as well as two new ports in Santa Teresa and Columbus, N.M. now process cargo using ACE. ACE is the commercial trade processing system being developed by CBP to enhance border security and expedite legitimate trade.

    There are currently 41 ACE ports located in the states of Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Washington, Texas, and New Mexico. CBP is working diligently to finish deployment at all land-border ports.

    CBP expects to complete the transition to ACE along the southern border, reaching California and one remaining port in Arizona, and then begin installations in the northeast. Eventually ACE will be rolled out for air, rail, and sea cargo processing.

  “The transition to ACE in Texas and New Mexico is huge, representing more than half of our operations on the southern land border, stretching nearly 1,500 miles,” said Cargo Systems Program Office Executive Director Louis Samenfink. “Making the switch to ACE improves border security and facilitates legitimate trade.”

  Truck carriers are encouraged by CBP to establish ACE truck carrier accounts now to ensure efficient border operations when electronic manifests (e-Manifests) are eventually mandated at all land ports. The faster carriers adopt e-Manifests, the faster the border crossing process speeds up for everyone.

    The new electronic manifest for trucks was introduced as part of ACE, the next generation of technology designed to expedite lawful trade and enhance national border security. ACE e-Manifest for trucks is a powerful, time saving tool. Truck carriers can submit an e-Manifest through the web-based ACE Secure Data Portal or via CBP approved Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) procedures. The portal is essentially a computer screen similar to a Web site home page that connects CBP and the trade community by providing a single, integrated, on-line access point for communications and information. With a one-screen system, filing is easy and data can be stored and reused requiring less data entry time for truck carriers.

    When a truck approaches the primary booth, transponder technology similar to that of a toll-paying device may be used to signal the truck’s arrival. The e-Manifest is automatically retrieved along with the matching pre-filed entries and other release declarations for the CBP officer to view and process. In addition, by establishing and using an ACE portal account, carriers can track the status of their trips and generate a wide variety of reports. This enables carriers to identify trends to plan future courses of action and achieve better results for their company.

    The e-Manifest capability is available at ACE ports and eventually will be coming to all ports. Parties may file e-Manifests with CBP directly at no charge. Authorized brokers, service providers, or other entities designated by the carrier may also be used to help with filings, usually for a fee.

    More than 200 companies are certified to submit e-Manifests through EDI, and numerous companies are using the ACE Secure Data Portal for submission. More than 3,000 e-Manifests have been filed to date.

Wood pallets

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection began enforcing the third and final phase of the wood packaging material (WPM) regulation on July 5. All WPM, such as pallets, crates, boxes and pieces of wood used to support or brace cargo, must meet import requirements and be free of timber pests before entering or transiting through the United States.

    All WPM entering or transiting through the United States must be either heat treated or fumigated with methyl bromide as outlined in the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures: Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade (ISPM 15). The WPM must also be marked with an approved international logo, certifying it has been appropriately treated.

    APHIS and CBP will require the immediate re-exportation of any unmarked WPM, as it is not in compliance with the ISPM 15 treatment and marking standard. APHIS and CBP will also require the immediate re-exportation of any marked WPM that is found to be infested with a live wood-boring pest of the families Cerambycidae (longhorned beetle), Buprestidae (wood-boring beetles), Siricidae (woodwasps), Cossidae (carpenter moth), Curculionidae (weevils), Platypodidae (ambrosia beetles), Sesiidae (clearwing moths) and Scolytidae (bark beetles).

    Shipments containing WPM that violate the rule may be allowed entry only if the CBP port director determines that it is feasible to separate the cargo from the noncompliant WPM. An arrangement to have the noncompliant WPM exported from the United States is required before the cargo can be released to the consignee. All costs associated with the re-exportation are the responsibility of the importer or party of interest.

    The first phase of this regulation became effective Sept. 16, 2005. The regulations are based on the International Plant Protection Convention standards for WPM.