U.S. Consulate General Press Releases (2007)

Hong Kong to Participate in the U.S. Secure Freight Initiative

News Release
July 27, 2007
Friday

Hong Kong - The United States and Hong Kong today (July 27, 2007) exchanged letters of understanding on cooperation on the U.S. Secure Freight Initiative (SFI) to help screen and safeguard sea cargo around the world. Under SFI, ports will use radiation detection, imaging and related equipment to scan maritime cargo containers to help detect and interdict illicit trafficking of special nuclear material and other radioactive material bound for the U.S. Created in December 2006, SFI's International Container Security project is a joint effort of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP, an agency of the Department of Homeland Security, DHS), the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and the Department of State, together with cooperating overseas port authorities.

The letters were signed by the U.S. acting Consul General in Hong Kong, Mr. Christopher J. Marut, and by Hong Kong's Director-General of Trade and Industry, Mr. Joseph Lai Yee-tak, and Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr. Richard Yuen Ming-fai.

The port of Hong Kong will join six other international ports evaluating integrated cargo radiation detection and non-intrusive imaging capabilities. The initial phase of the SFI also involves: Port Qasim in Pakistan; Puerto Cortes in Honduras; Southampton in the United Kingdom; Port Salalah in Oman; the port of Singapore and the port of Busan in Korea.

Under the arrangements set out in the letters, Hong Kong will be participating in the SFI in a limited capacity on a pilot basis. The pilot project will be established in Hong Kong in a container terminal operated by Modern Terminals, Limited. The Customs authorities of Hong Kong and the United States will work together closely in the pilot to facilitate the identification and screening of high-risk containers.

"The port of Hong Kong is one of the busiest container ports in the world," said SFI Executive Director Allen Gina of DHS. "With our goal of securing the global supply chain while facilitating trade, we recognize the role the port of Hong Kong plays in international trade, and have chosen to partner with the government of Hong Kong and a key terminal operator to help determine the impact of radiation detection and imaging operations at large volume ports."

The scanning of U.S.-bound containers processed through the Modern Terminals Ltd. facilities in Hong Kong will provide evaluation capabilities beyond the requirements of the Security and Accountability For Every (SAFE) Port Act of 2006, in response to which SFI was established. SFI ultimately seeks the capability to scan with radiation detection and non-intrusive imaging equipment 100 percent of all cargo bound for the United States.

"With the partnerships established with the Secure Freight Initiative we are able to improve port and cargo security not only in the United States but also around the world. The goal is to screen more cargo and ultimately help to prevent nuclear materials or devices from being smuggled into the United States or partner countries," said NNSA Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation William Tobey.

Among worldwide seaports processing containers with goods destined for the United States, Hong Kong is first in terms of the volume of shipments and containers imported into the United States. In fiscal year 2006, Hong Kong processed 1,333,812 shipments bound for the United States, constituting 11.48 percent of all shipments to the United States, involving 948,876 containers and 9.28 percent of shipping containers arriving in the United States.

 

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of the U.S. border at and between official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the U.S. while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Established by Congress in 2000, NNSA is a separately organized agency within the U.S. Department of Energy responsible for enhancing national security through the military application of nuclear science. NNSA maintains and enhances the safety, security, reliability and performance of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile without nuclear testing; works to reduce global danger from weapons of mass destruction; provides the U.S. Navy with safe and effective nuclear propulsion; and responds to nuclear and radiological emergencies in the United States and abroad. Visit www.nnsa.doe.gov for more information.