More than 95 percent of this country's non-NAFTA international cargo moves through U.S. ports. Nearly 9 million cargo containers arrive at the United States' 361 seaports each year, and large container ships can receive or discharge more than 6 million pounds of freight in a single hour. The U.S. maritime industry contributes more than one trillion dollars to America's annual GDP.

Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, much has been accomplished to improve American maritime security. In fact, today ports, vessels, and the entire cargo supply chain are significantly more secure than before 9/11 due to the concerted efforts of government, the private sector, and our international trading partners. However, there is a need for the government, working cooperatively with industry, to identify areas where additional steps should be taken to further enhance maritime security. Government and private sector stakeholders must share the responsibility to develop effective cargo security standards, improve cargo security screening before loading by obtaining entry information earlier than it is received today, and identify and implement other forward-thinking security measures, including encouraging the development and use of appropriate technologies.

Enhancing U.S. maritime security requires the cooperation of government, private sector stakeholders and our international trading partners. To ensure cargo chain security, a unified and cooperative effort is necessary — from the shippers who stuff the containers overseas, to the ocean carriers that transport them, to the ports and terminals that transfer them to land-based transportation modes, to the trucks and railroads that deliver them to their eventual destination, to the importers that initiated the purchases and, of course, to the government, which has the ultimate investigative, law enforcement and regulatory authority, and intelligence capabilities.

Coupled with this approach, the following important steps need to be implemented: requiring better and earlier cargo information in order to more effectively screen all container shipments before they are loaded onto ships in foreign ports; implementing a set of requirements for enhancing the security of containers in transit; and implementing a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program to ensure that the identification of individuals in the U.S. with access to cargo can be verified reliably and expediently.