Port of Buenos Aires is the 41st Port to Become Operational in CSI
According to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) press release, the port of Buenos Aires, Argentina is the 41st operational Container Security Initiative (CSI) port.
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CBP states that the U.S. and Argentina signed a declaration of principles on May 9, 2005. (See ITT's Online Archives or 05/12/05 news, 05051205, for BP summary.)
According to the press release, CBP will deploy a team of officers to be stationed at the port of Buenos Aires to target maritime containers destined for the U.S. Argentine Customs officials, working with CBP officers, will be responsible for screening any containers identified as a potential terrorist risk.
CBP notes that approximately 75% of cargo containers destined to the U.S. originate in or are transshipped from CSI ports. CBP's goal is to have 50 operational CSI ports by the end of 2006, which means that approximately 90% of all transatlantic and transpacific cargo imported into the U.S. will be subjected to pre-screening.
CBP states that CSI will continue to expand to strategic locations around the world and notes that the World Customs Organization (WCO), the European Union (EU), and the G8 support CSI expansion and have adopted resolutions implementing CSI security measures introduced at ports throughout the world.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 10/06/05 news, 05100610, for BP summary of CBP's announcement of the 40th CSI operational port of Colombo, Sri Lanka.)
(See ITT's Online Archives or 05/31/05 and 06/20/05 news, 05053115 and 05062010, for BP summaries of a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing on CSI and C-TPAT, as well as an expert's testimony on these programs' weaknesses, respectively.)
CBP press release (dated 11/17/05) available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/press_releases/11172005.xml.