COALITION LAUNCHED TO PROMOTE U.S. PORT SECURITY;
STAKEHOLDERS IN MARINE CARGO CHAIN TO ADVOCATE FOR UNITED APPROACH TO IMPROVING SECURITY

Washington, DC — Terminal operators, vessel operators, port associations, shippers and other stakeholders responsible for handling the nine million cargo containers that enter the U.S. each year announced today that they are joining together as the Coalition for Secure Ports to advocate for enhanced maritime security. The Coalition will immediately initiate a campaign to educate policymakers and the public on steps that have been taken to improve port and cargo chain security since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, as well as identify actions that the government, in cooperation with private sector stakeholders, can take now to further improve the security of the nation's marine transportation system.

"Today's ports, vessels, and the entire marine transportation system are more secure than before 9/11 due to the concerted efforts of government, the private sector, and our international trade partners," said Basil Maher, President and COO of Maher Terminals and President of the National Association of Waterfront Employers (NAWE). "Yet too much is at stake for the nation to be lulled into a false sense of security. Over 95 percent of the nation's import cargo moves through America's 361 seaports each year, and the maritime industry contributes more than one trillion dollars to America's annual GDP. We need to continue to make smart, sophisticated improvements to ensure the security of this system."

"The government must focus its attention on maritime security with as much intensity as it has focused on aviation security," continued Maher. "Currently, 90 percent of the Transportation Security Administration's annual budget is allocated to aviation security. While aviation security undeniably deserves our continued support, an appropriate level of resources must be dedicated to addressing the crucial challenges still facing maritime security. The Coalition's top priority is working with government leaders to increase maritime security awareness, appropriately fund port security programs, and ensure that appropriate technologies are utilized in port and cargo security."

The Coalition will focus its efforts on three important steps necessary to achieve its goal of strengthening port security:

1. Obtaining earlier, better and more precise cargo information.
2. Working closely with government authorities to enhance the security of containers in transit; and
3. Implementing a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) to ensure that the identity of individuals with access to cargo can be verified reliably and expediently.

"Better quality information is the underlying key to each one of these crucial next steps," said Chuck Carroll, General Counsel of NAWE. "From the moment a cargo container is stuffed overseas, appropriate government authorities must know its precise contents in order to produce timely and actionable information about container contents that would greatly augment government's ability to screen and inspect cargo more effectively."

Said Carroll, "Working with government authorities to enhance information about cargo in transit will be a big step in improving cargo security. Also, we must implement the TWIC throughout the country as expeditiously as possible. Transportation system workers nationwide should obtain and carry a tamper-resistant credential that contains unique biometric identification to prevent unauthorized individuals from gaining access to secure cargo and critical infrastructure."

The Coalition will also work to ensure that policymakers are aware of the progress that has already been made to marine cargo security, and avoid actions that merely impede the flow of commerce, creating a false sense of security without delivering real container security. Since the passage of the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA) that established the legislative basis for improving port security, government and the private sector have successfully implemented a number of important initiatives to improve marine cargo security.

"Today, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) screens intelligence information on 100% of all cargo containers being imported into the country," said Jon Hemingway, President and CEO of SSA Marine. "Each and every container identified as high risk is physically inspected by CBP upon arrival in the U.S. CBP has also placed Vehicle and Cargo Inspection System (VACIS) technology at major cargo terminal facilities throughout the nation to inspect containers for dangerous substances and devices, and is in the process of placing radiation scanning portals at marine terminals that will enable the detection of radioactive materials inside containers."

"Marine terminals themselves are also more secure as a result of installing enhanced security systems. Security training and awareness programs have been initiated and incident response and evacuation plans have been put in place. The government has also implemented programs such as Operation Safe Commerce, a pilot program analyzing security in the commercial supply chain and testing solutions with new technologies, as well as the Container Security Initiative (CSI), under which teams of CBP officials deployed at overseas terminals conduct on-site inspections of U.S.-bound cargo," said Hemingway.

The members of the Coalition for Secure Ports are part of a global cargo transportation system, and enhancing U.S. cargo security requires the cooperation of government, private sector stakeholders and our international trading partners. To ensure cargo chain security, a multilateral, 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 and, of course, to the U.S. government, which has the ultimate investigative, law enforcement, and regulatory authority over domestic security.

The Coalition for Secure Ports consists of private sector stakeholders who along with the U.S. government share the responsibility for the security of ports, vessels, and cargo, including cargo containers, entering the United States, as well as the efficient flow of commerce.

For more information and to view a list of coalition members, please visit the Coalition's web site: www.secureports.org.