CSI Operational at La Spezia

Container Security Initiative (CSI) has become operational at the port of La Spezia, Italy. In Europe, the Bureau is looking to expand CSI to at least 11 additional ports, including Livorno, Gioia Tauro, and Naples. CBP and the government of Italy signed a declaration of principles on November 7, 2002. As part of the CSI program, CBP deployed a team of officers to the port of Genoa on June 16, 2003 to work with host government personnel to target high-risk cargo containers destined for the United States. Italian government officials are responsible for screening any container identified jointly with CBP officers as a potential terrorist risk. The port of La Spezia is the 15th CSI port to become operational. It joins the already operational CSI ports of Rotterdam, LeHavre, Bremerhaven, Hamburg, Antwerp, Singapore, Yokohama, Hong Kong, Göteborg, Felixstowe, Genoa, Vancouver, Montreal, and Halifax. Most recently, the governments of Malaysia and Sweden have joined CSI. In Europe, CBP is looking to expand CSI to at least 11 additional ports to include Livorno, Gioia Tauro, and Naples. "As part of CSI Phase 2, we will be expanding CSI to other ports that ship substantial amounts of cargo to the United States, and that have the infrastructure and technology in place to participate in the program. CSI Phase 2 will enable us to extend port security protection to more than 80 percent of all containers coming to the United States" casting the safety net of CSI far and wide,” Commissioner Bonner said.