see also: in August 2002:   U.S. Customs Inspectors Seize $3 Million in Cocaine, Methamphetamine in Three Seizures at Eagle Pass Port of Entry Wednesday   U.S. Customs Service and Food & Drug Administration Uncover Dumping Scheme Involving Contaminated Honey Imports From China   U.S. Customs Inspectors Deployed to Seaport of Rotterdam in Container Security Initiative   Customs Set to Begin Phase 3 of Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism   Manhattan Money Transfer Operator Convicted of Money Laundering, Violation of U.S. Embargo on Trade With Iran   Customs Finds 1,281 lbs. of Marijuana in Tractor-Trailer   Customs Seizes Smuggled Ketamine ...more on cbp.gov:   CSI: Container Security Initiative

contacts for this news release

Washington, D.C.-U.S. Customs Commissioner Robert C. Bonner and Wolfgang Ischinger, Germany's Ambassador to the United States, today announced that the government of Germany has agreed to participate in the U.S. Customs Container Security Initiative (CSI).

CSI is a U.S. Customs initiative designed to prevent the smuggling of terrorists or terrorist weapons in ocean-going cargo containers. Under terms of the declaration announced today, U.S. Customs officers will be stationed at the German ports of Hamburg and Bremerhaven.

"I applaud the German government for joining the U.S. Customs Service Container Security Initiative (CSI)," said Commissioner Bonner. "This joint declaration with Germany will provide a significant measure of security for Europe, the United States, and the global trading system as a whole."

Ambassador Ischinger said: "This joint declaration is yet another example of the successful joint efforts and continuing strong resolve of our two great nations in the international fight against terror. Germany will continue to cooperate closely with the U.S. and other international partners to combat terrorism wherever it threatens the life and liberty of our citizens."

The initiative supports the "Cooperative G8 Action on Transport Security," adopted by the 8 most important industrialized nations (G8) at their Kananaskis, Canada, meeting on June 26, 2002.

Launched by U.S. Customs in January 2002, the CSI is designed to enhance the security of global maritime shipping, a vital link in world commerce. Some 200 million sea cargo containers move annually among the world's top seaports, and nearly 50 percent of the value of all U.S. imports arrives via sea cargo containers every year.

One element of CSI involves placing U.S. Customs inspectors at key foreign seaports to target and pre-screen U.S.-bound cargo containers before they are shipped to America. Since approximately 68 percent of the 5.7 million sea containers entering the U.S. annually arrives from 20 foreign seaports, U.S. Customs is initially focusing on these "mega" ports as chokepoints in the global trading system.

U.S. Customs will place a small team of Customs inspectors at Bremerhaven and Hamburg equipped with U.S. targeting databases. They will work jointly with German Customs officers to target sea containers that are bound for America. German Customs officers, assisted by U.S. Customs officers, will be responsible for screening any containers identified as a potential terrorist risk.

The ports of Bremerhaven and Hamburg are among the top 20 "mega-ports" of the world. The port of Bremerhaven handles nearly 30 million tons of goods per year. The port of Hamburg handles nearly 31 million tons of goods per year. Last year, approximately 257,000 sea cargo containers entered the U.S. from Bremerhaven and 103,000 from Hamburg.

In addition to the European ports, U.S. Customs and the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency exchanged inspectors at select seaports in March to target and pre-screen containers bound for each nation. Singapore has also agreed to participate in CSI.

The U.S. Customs Service is currently in discussions with several other nations, including countries in Europe and Asia, about forming additional partnerships under CSI. "It's important to note that all countries that ship containers to the U.S. are invited to participate in the U.S. Customs Container Security Initiative," Commissioner Bonner said. "We started this program with the 20 largest seaports because it makes sense to do so. But these 20 ports represent the beginning of the program, not the end."