More container checks will increase delays, says APL head of security.

(From Lloyds List)

PHYSICALLY inspecting 10% of containers inbound to the US would cause unacceptable delays without substantially increasing security, warns APL's head of security, Earl Agron, writes Marcus Hand in Singapore.

The inspection of the 9m containers inbound to the US to stop the threat of terrorist acts has become a political issue. Democratic presidential challenger John Kerry has repeatedly accused the Bush Administration of failing to properly protect the country's borders, with checks currently performed on only about 5% of boxes entering the US.

Shipping lines like APL, though, believe that increasing the number of containers that are checked will merely further snarl up the supply chain at a time when ships are already facing lengthy delays at US ports.

'Even a 10% physical exam rate, as suggested by some lawmakers, would be extremely expensive and would cause unacceptable delays to the international supply ...