U.S. borders go global.

The U.S. government has done a good job of tracking U.S.-bound cargo from foreign ports but there is room for improvement, say some U.S. lawmakers. They point to "gaps" such as Customs and Border Protections (CBP) 6% rate of detailed cargo inspections, which they consider to be low. They also cite the 9/11 Commission's report, which suggests that ports and maritime transportation industries could be particularly vulnerable to a future terrorist attack.

CBP says it has "a multilayered approach" to security that includes working with its customs counterparts overseas. It cites several examples of transportation security enhancements including the Container Security Initiative, which has to date placed CBP inspectors at 25 of the world's largest container "mega-ports," …