MOVING GOODS

Post 911

   The terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 , as well as other recent attacks and threats of more violence, has changed the way goods are shipped into and through the United States . Understanding the changes and what they mean for importers and exporters is critical.

   U.S. Customs Service Commissioner Robert C. Bonner recently provided an overview of changes that have occurred and changes that are scheduled to occur. The following is an excerpt from remarks made at the recent Western Cargo Conference.

   “Just as we have done in the months since 9/11, the U.S. Customs Service must and will continue to do everything we can to prevent terrorists and terrorist weapons from getting into our country - to protect our nation and our people from further terrorist attacks,” Bonner said. “This is our responsibility and, make no mistake, we take it very seriously.

   But we also take seriously our responsibility to assure the flow of legitimate trade. We know that besides our security mission, we have an important role to play in making sure that legitimate goods move through our borders as efficiently as possible. We must protect the American economy as well as the American people.

   Many of the initiatives we developed and began implementing this past year, in the wake of the attacks of 9/11, are specifically designed to meet those twin goals - initiatives like C-TPAT, FAST, and CSI.

   I think it’s important to mention that we have also, in the past year...

...Continued in the pages of Twin Plant News, Subscribe Today!