Security & Supply Chain: The Container Security Initiative (CSI)
by Sterling J. Scott, Marketing Communications Coordinator, MHI | @mhi_sterling
The Container Security Initiative (CSI) was created by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (formerly the U.S. Customs Service) in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. It was established to protect trade lanes between specific ports and the United States. U.S. officers work with host country customs administration officers to prevent acts of terrorism by identifying and targeting containers that pose a risk. The three core elements of CSI are:
- Identify high-risk containers. CBP uses automated targeting tools to identify containers that pose a potential risk for terrorism, based on advance information and strategic intelligence.
- Prescreen and evaluate containers before they are shipped. Containers are screened as early in the supply chain as possible, generally at the port of departure.
- Use technology to prescreen high-risk containers to ensure that screening can be done rapidly without slowing down the movement of trade. This technology includes large-scale X-ray and gamma ray machines and radiation detection devices.
Currently, over 80% of all maritime cargo shipped to the United States in containers are prescreened at CSI ports worldwide.
