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| Importers attack US bill to scan containers | ||
| 2007-07-26 | ||
| All cargo entering the US on ships would have to undergo thorough screening at foreign ports under new legislation agreed by key congressional committees - a move attacked on Wednesday by the shipping industry as a recipe for chaos. The Senate and House homeland security committees reached a deal late Tuesday on implementing recommendations made by the 9/11 commission established to investigate the 2001 terrorist attacks on the US.
Stewart Verdery, a former senior Bush administration Homeland Security official, said the measure would be very difficult to implement because technology did not exist to conduct such comprehensive scans. James Carafano, a homeland security expert at the Heritage Foundation, agreed, saying the requirement was “political theatre” that would antagonise US allies. But Democrats painted the legislation as a victory. Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic House speaker, called it a bill “to make the American people safer.”
It calls for all air freight to be examined within three years and all sea containers within five years, although it allows for extensions to the deadlines. Erik Autor, vice-president for international trade at the National Retail Federation, said there would be significant technical challenges in meeting the billÂ’s requirements. He questioned, for example, whether the Department of Homeland Security had the resources to examine promptly the millions of images that would be created annually of containers scanned at overseas ports. A homeland security official said the legislation could also prevent some eastern European countries from participating in the US visa waiver programme. Under the legislation, countries with visa refusal rates higher than 10 per cent, which include Poland, would have difficulty signing up for the programme. | ||
| Posted by:lotp |
| #13 how does this smoke and mirrors prevent a ship from docking someplace else and shuffling containers with the stack pierside? or simply meeting up underway and doing the same thing? who's to know? we gonna put folks on all the piers in all the ports in all the countries? |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2007-07-26 13:58 |
| #12 I'm sorry if your shirt was Made in China and now your gonna have to pay more for it. But then I saw a shirt at Nordie's the other day that was Made in China and cost $120. We can't make a shirt in this country for $120? Sometimes I think it's just all a big lie. I really hate to see the commies getting all our money so if this slows them down a bit I'm all for it even if there is no security benefit and even if it cost more. Spiteful, huh? If we can't make it here then moving the manufacturing to Mexico means more jobs for that country which means fewer illegal aliens from that country and less money for the PLA. Win-win-win. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2007-07-26 12:42 |
| #11 I agree with SPOD. But it's sad to realize that we've already crossed into the world trade market and I don't see us going back. NS, the vision of feeling folks up gave me a morning chuckle. lol |
| Posted by: Jan 2007-07-26 11:41 |
| #10 Also a recipe for chaos? An atomic bomb detonating in Boston harbor. Beating a dead camel here but the better thing to do would be to cut off the evil at its source rather than adding bandaid after bandaid to the problem. |
| Posted by: Excalibur 2007-07-26 10:29 |
| #9 > Sock Puppet of Doom Juche is not a good idea. |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2007-07-26 08:08 |
| #8 This makes as much sense as inspecting airline passengers as they deplane. If it's a good idea, let's implement it for food and everything else coming across the Mexican border. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2007-07-26 07:05 |
| #7 I'm not sure we can blow off trading partners quite so cavalierly. Not without major economic blowback in the form of tariffs etc. |
| Posted by: lotp 2007-07-26 05:43 |
| #6 James Carafano, a homeland security expert at the Heritage Foundation, agreed, saying the requirement was “political theatre” that would antagonise US allies. Uh thank you, uh thank Jim for remembering all off our wonderful Allies overseas-uh....both of them-uh, no worries here tonight volks. And now Myron will crank up his accordion for a lively polka which you will all recognize. Come Norma lets uh-dance. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2007-07-26 04:33 |
| #5 Perhaps we need to import less and employ more two and four legged inspectors. How much tariff and tax money is being scammed by not paying for what is really in those containers? Build it here with US citizens doing the work instead of importing some crap that breaks in 90 days that was made in China. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2007-07-26 03:28 |
| #4 Well, let's not forget that most of what exists in the room that you're in right now was imported. Raising freight charges can make or break a lot of companies. And there's the whole issue of it won't work. This idea is a clusterfuck waiting to happen. |
| Posted by: gromky 2007-07-26 03:11 |
| #3 "AT overseas ports" > well alrighty then, lets start scanning them at PIncorrect domestic ports closer to political constituencies. WHat this article is basically inferring is thatas time goes on, THE THREAT TO THE USA + NORAM [NAU???] FROM NUCLEAR-WMD TERROR ATTACK(S) WILL SHIFT OVERSEAS AND BEYOND THE INTERNAT DATE LINES, e.g. Guam + other Pacific Islands, etal. + Late great Guam singer JD CRUTCH > GOTTA LISTEN TO THE VOICES ... GUAM TAOTAOMONA PROPHECIES FOR GUAM + USA + WORLD. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-07-26 01:31 |
| #2 can we truly monitor well via foreign ports? Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic House speaker, called it a bill “to make the American people safer.” no thanks Nancy. Sounds like alot of money to me for not knowing how well the foreign ports are monitored. |
| Posted by: Jan 2007-07-26 01:01 |
| #1 These are good measures, long overdue. F**k these importers and the f**king camels they rode in on. Who are the main whiners, Wally-Mart ? Screw them. |
| Posted by: Woozle Elmeter2970 2007-07-26 00:40 |