Container Security Initiative (CSI) under serious discussion in Korea

The Korean government is seriously considering a proposal from the U.S. regarding containers bound for the U.S. be inspected at Korean ports in advance.

On August 22, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries said that the U.S. is trying to get a quick sign on the CSI by sending the U.S. ambassador and U.S. Customs officers. It is known that the U.S. asked the Korean government to purchase up-to-date laser equipment to inspect containers for bombs or guns and to set up the equipment in Korean container?dedicated ports such as the Pusan East Container Terminal. MOMAF also predicted that it would strongly call for this issue in the Korea/U.S. Customs cooperation meeting scheduled for this September 5.

A MOMAF officer said that the U.S. is so eager to contract the CSI. And as Singapore, Holland and Hong Kong are already finished or expecting it, Korea is bound to sign it. He added that if the CSI was contracted between Korea and the U.S., 2% of cargoes out of U.S. bound containers loaded in the Port of Pusan would be on the inspection list. However, a CSI contract will require additional coordination, bringing about logistic flow delays, decisions on transit cargoes, acquisitions of inspection areas and so on.

The U.S. is seeking now to contract with 20 worldwide ports to protect against potential terror, asking them to sign the Container Security Initiative.