U.S. and Hong Kong (2002)

Remarks by U.S. Customs Commissioner Robert C. Bonner
Signing Ceremony for the Declaration of Principle
On the Container Security Initiative
With the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department
September 23, 2002

(As prepared for delivery)

It is an honor for me to be with you today. Today we enter into an agreement to implement the Container Security Initiative in Hong Kong. To say that this is a historic occasion is, I believe, an understatement.

The decision to pursue the Container Security Initiative - in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11th and the continuing terrorist threat - was rooted in one objective: To take immediate and bold steps to vastly improve security of the global trading system as a whole, and in particular the security of trade between Hong Kong and the U.S. But importantly, to do it in a way that does not choke off the flow of trade on which our economies depend.

That's what CSI does. Indeed, I believe that CSI - when implemented - will be make trade between Hong Kong and the United States move faster and more efficiently than it did before September 11, 2001.

I don't have to tell you that Hong Kong is a critically important part of the Container Security Initiative. More containers by far are shipped to the United States from the port of Hong Kong than from any other port in the world. In fact, nearly 10% of the containers that arrive in the U.S. each year either originate in, or are transshipped through, the port of Hong Kong. It is remarkable. It is a testament to the huge volume of trade that moves from and through Hong Kong to the United States.

Hong Kong is indeed a crossroads for trade to the U.S. That is why the agreement we are signing today is such an important step towards our overriding mutual objective: That is, combating and preventing terrorist attacks, and thereby making the world a safer place.

Under the terms of the agreement we are signing today, a small number of U.S. Customs personnel will be assigned here in the very near future. They will use the powerful automated targeting systems U.S. Customs has developed to scour vast amounts of manifest and trade information, to identify shipments that could potentially pose a risk -- and by that I mean a risk for terrorism. Hong Kong authorities will screen and inspect those shipments identified as posing a potential risk with sophisticated detection technology.

It is important to note that this is a partnership. It is a collaborative effort between the U.S. and Hong Kong. I want to note that U.S. Customs personnel will not be enforcing U.S. laws in Hong Kong, and they will not be enforcing Hong Kong's laws.

Our personnel will work side-by-side with their Hong Kong counterparts to pool their knowledge and skills, using our information and automated targeting systems to identify potentially high risk cargo containers that need additional screening before they are shipped to the United States. This is a prudent measure in the post-9/11 world.

The agreement we sign today adds measurably to the security of the United States, to the security of Hong Kong, and to the security of the entire global trading system. It is a bold step. It is an important step. It is an historic step. By entering into this agreement, we have in fact this day taken a step together that will make the world a safer place.

I want to thank Secretary Tang and Director General Wong for making CSI a reality here in Hong Kong. I also want to thank Consul General Keith for all of his efforts to implement CSI.

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