Coordinating cargo security rules a challenge for homeland agencies

New rules requiring the transportation industry to give the government advance notice of all cargo shipments will require better coordination among Homeland Security Department agencies, according to Secretary Tom Ridge.

The new regulations, which go into effect in 15 days, require transportation companies to submit electronic information on all cargo to the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency within hours before its arrival at U.S. borders or departure from the country. The length of time that companies have to give notice varies depending on the mode of transportation and whether cargo is outbound or inbound.

"The days of a truck or other cargo shipments just showing up at our borders are over," said Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert Bonner.

To make the rules work, Homeland Security agencies will need to step up their efforts to use each other's information systems, Ridge and Bonner said. For example, CBP hopes to tap into TSA's Known Shipper Program, which maintains data on frequent cargo carriers.

"The interconnectivity is getting there, but it's not quite perfect," one official said.

All cargo information collected by CBP-whether from another government agency or from industry-will be put into a database that is controlled by Homeland Security and linked to other law enforcement and commercial databases. Bonner said the information would allow CBP to more quickly identify suspect shipments. Previously, most non-maritime shipments entered the country without being screened by an automated system.

Under the new rules, suspect cargo will be inspected on scene by customs inspectors. "We can make a good, astute determination of all containers to determine which ones post a potential risk," Bonner added.

Ridge said Homeland Security worked with private companies for months to develop rules that provide security while not restricting trade. However, he acknowledged some companies would face increased costs in order to comply with the regulations.

Bonner said different components of the transportation industry would be given different time lines to comply with the rules. For example, the air cargo industry already has technology to provide electronic details about cargo. However, the trucking industry is decentralized and will need more time to develop electronic capabilities.

"We are going to move as quickly as we can to get compliance," Bonner said.