World Trade - November 2008 - (Page 42)

SECURITY Are We Safe Yet? As the next generation of port security metrics come online, shippers wonder if the added costs are worth the protection. BY APRIL TERRERI T he inconvenient truth about the international supply chain is that disruption is inevitable—whether from terrorist intrusions or from natural disasters. Perhaps because of this potential for catastrophic risk, there is increasing collaboration and cooperation among different entities with a stake in securing the global supply chain. Governments and industry, companies amongst themselves, even competitive retailers are collaborating with each other to assure standardized security procedures and response protocols to help make resiliency a core competency in global supply chain. In general, it is America that is driving the process. Earl Agron, vice president of security for Singapore-based APL Limited, actively participates in international security dialogs. “Since 9/11, the U.S. has implemented a large number of initiatives, many of which have been replicated by other countries around the world, including the World Customs Organization. This reﬂects how the world views the effectiveness of these U.S. initiatives.” But not without reservations, notably from those who fear overzealous and expensive precautions threaten to slow the wheels of international commerce while not delivering additional security. With that comes concern that some proposed programs can dilute or kill effective programs already in placc—programs like C-TPAT (Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism) and CSI (Container Security Initiative). Security is organic Because security is organic, the dynamic is never ending to keep pace with ever-changing threats, risks, and vulnerabilities. “You are never completely safe because threats continue to evolve, but I believe the global supply chain and the nation’s ports are more secure than they were on September 11, 2001,” says Allen Thompson, vice president of global supply chain policy for the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) in Arlington, Virginia. James Liddy reminds us a holistic approach to security can reduce the cascading effects of any disaster. “By preparing to mitigate the cascading effects, you increase your ability to recover quickly so you can stop the loss of revenues and productivity,” says Liddy, president of Layered Security Solutions in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Prior to 9/11, the No. 1 challenge to U.S. ports was limited ﬁnancial resources for infrastructure investments to accommodate increasing trade, says Kurt Nagle, president and CEO of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) in Alexandria, Virginia. 42 WORLD TRADE NOVEMBER 2008 U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of World Trade - November 2008

World Trade - November 2008 Contents Unexpected Responses to Unanticipated Change Reading the States of Risk in Today’s Global Economy Supply Chain Watch Tradewinds Failed Promise: Mexico and NAFTA, 15 Years Later The Short Tale Marrying Trade Finance and Transportation into a Single Transaction Trucking Gets a Double Whammy Are We Safe Yet? Logistics Resurrects the Rust Belt Keep on Compressing

World Trade - November 2008

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