THE US-led container security initiative (CSI) is likely to be operational in Malaysia next month, with highest priority being given to Port Klang and Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP).
A senior US Customs official said the American government was looking at starting off the programme as soon as possible at two of Malaysia's major ports.
"It could be next month... that's not out of the question, but certainly by the end of this year or early next year," US Customs assistant attache in Singapore Peter R. Darvas told members of the port, shipping and exporting community at a briefing in Westport, Port Klang last week.
"We are giving the highest priority to ports in the coming phase and have got strong messages from Washington that (US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert C.) Commissioner Bonner wants it to take place sooner than later," he said.
Darvas said the US Customs, now renamed the Customs & Border Protection (CBP) of the US Department of Homeland Security, was now waiting for office renovations to be completed at Port Klang and PTP that would house the American Customs officers.
"We will then install our computers and put our people on the ground."
A final report from a technical team that visited Malaysia in August has been submitted to the CBP a few weeks ago.
On the local front, the Royal Malaysian Customs had said they were prepared to go ahead with the CSI whenever it started.
RMC Customs director Mat Yusof Abdullah, who attended the briefing last week, said there would not be any major changes in the processes and no major disruption to trade was expected.
"We are already scanning export boxes and this practice only needs to be enhanced a little to facilitate the CSI," he said.
It is learnt that another four newly-ordered container-scanning machines would be brought in to the country for the purposes of inspections.
One of those would be stationed at Northport, giving Port Klang a total of three scanners altogether.
Allaying concerns about sovereignty, Darvas said US Customs would not be allowed any extra territorial authority in the CSI ports they were based at.
"We do not have any power to search nor arrest at those ports. We are there at the pleasure of the host."
He said the US Customs would target container activity before singling out a box that was of particular interest.
"If we feel that a specific container is suspect, we would turn it over to the Malaysian Customs and it is up to them to decide whether the box is examined.
"If they disagree with us (to check a box), in all probability that container will not get examined," he said, stressing however that US Customs would not be able to carry out the programme without the experience and synergies of the local host.
Darvas also gave an assurance that the entire cost of the CSI operations at foreign ports would be borne by the CBP and the American taxpayers.
He said none of the costs would be passed on to trade and there would be no 'CSI fee' as such.
As for transhipment containers, he said the plan was to have the examination conducted during the 'downtime' - the time when the boxes are on transit and waiting to be loaded onto the next vessel.
"Virtually all of PTP's volumes are transhipment and Port Klang too has a healthy amount of transhipment traffic so we see efficiency in the process.
"As far as I'm aware, in all the ports that have started the CSI, there has been no slowdown in operations or disruptions."
So far, 17 Phase 1 ports that account for two-thirds of the containers going into the US, has the CSI up and running.
Port Klang and PTP, although not listed by US Customs in the top 20 ports of priority, expressed their keenness to join the programme in an effort to remain competitive and to be regarded as 'safe' terminals.
The CSI involves the stationing of US Customs officers at foreign ports to monitor and inspect US-bound containers to curb the shipment of weapons of mass destruction, following the Sept 11 terrorist attacks.
But some critics felt the scheme was tantamount to expanding US laws across borders. |
