The Container Security Initiative (CSI) is moving into Phase 2 after great strides to sign up the world's largest container ports. Initially created as sister program to the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) to prevent terrorists from using sea containers as weapons aimed at the U.S., phase 2 will target second-tier ports.
The new group of ports will be chosen for strategic reasons, based on their location or intelligence analysis that indicates they could be vulnerable to terrorist activity.
Each port must meet three criteria: It must have a "signifigant" volume of direct trade with the U.S., the host country must have the means to funds to invest in security and the port must have non-intrusive inspection technology such as x-ray or gamma-ray scanning equipment.
CSI is currently operational in the following Asian port locations:
- Singapore
- Yokohama, Japan
- Hong Kong
- Busan, South Korea
Asian ports that are coming to CSI soon include:
- Tokyo, Nagoya, Kobe and Osaka, Japan
- Shanghai & Shenzhen, China
- Laem Chabang, Thailand
- Port Kelang and Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia
- Colombo, Sri Lanka
Web sites of these ports can be found in our "Links" section.