U.S. urges Asian ports to increase security
Japanese ports lead the way in adopting biometrics and other measures to enhance port security — but they stubbornly resist introducing nuclear radiation devices; U.S. increases pressure on them — and other Asian ports — to deploy the radiation monitoring devices
Advice to manufacturers of radiation detectors for ports and transportation: Look east. DHS secretary Michael Chertoff said Asian nations need to upgrade port security in an effort to prevent a terrorist incident which could wreck the global maritime trading system. Chertoff, in Tokyo on an official visit, said he was seeking to persuade ports, including ones in Japan and China, to install radiation detectors to help stop radioactive material from being smuggled into the United States. Japanese ports have not yet agreed to install such systems, partly because some operators fear it could slow turnaround times.
Chertoff countered that more aggressive detection would actually speed things up because pre-checked cargo would be cleared through U.S. customs much more quickly. Ports not deemed to be safe would find their cargoes held up longer, he said. “In the long run, shippers are going to choose ports that are most likely to speed their business through [U.S. ports],” he said, ensuring that there was a “profit-promoting element to security.” It was therefore in all trading countries’ interests, including China, to make sure there were no gaps in security, said Chertoff, whose tour of Asia will take him to Singapore, Hong Kong, and Beijing.
