APL Security Executive Urges Harmonised Global Regulations

Could Emphasis on Administrative Requirements Result in Missing a Terrorist Threat?

Singapore, 26 Mar 2004 - Ocean carriers and the world's ports and marine terminals risk overlooking a real security threat unless nations align their regulations, a maritime security expert warned today.

Mr Earl Agron, Director of Port and Container Security for ocean-container carrier APL, said the problem stemmed from the interrelated nature of global trade.

"Keep in mind that one country's imports are another country's exports, and still other countries' in-transit and transshipment boxes," Agron told an audience of shippers, carriers, port officials and others at the Asia Pacific Maritime Summit 2004 in Singapore.

"Each nation naturally wants to protect itself, and so issues regulations about container security. The danger is that without harmonising those regulations, we will all get lost in a maze of administrative requirements."

The potential outcome, he said, was that maritime officials might become so involved in satisfying regulations that they could miss a real security threat when it happened.

Mr Agron urged the World Customs Organisation to take on the task of harmonising container security regulations, which are currently being issued by the US, Canada, Australia, Singapore and other nations.

He also questioned what would happen to vessels and ports that failed to meet the requirements of the International Maritime Organisation's International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS), scheduled to come into effect 1 July 2004.

"It seems clear that the US, at least, will more than likely deny entry of non-compliant vessels after 1 July," Mr Agron observed. "The big question is, really, what will happen when a compliant vessel arrives at a compliant port, but has previously called someplace that is not in compliance?

"The consequences are still being considered. It is very important that this question be cleared up immediately to allow carriers to build back-up plans based on a well defined set of consequences."

About APL
APL is a global top-10 container transportation company, providing services to more than 140 countries through a network combining world-class intermodal operations with leading-edge IT and e-commerce. APL is a unit of Singapore-based Neptune Orient Lines (NOL), a global transportation and logistics company. APL Web site: www.apl.com

Media Inquiries
Americas:
Scott Dailey, tel: +1 650-369-4451 or scott_dailey@apl.com
Asia/Middle East:
Paul Barrett, tel: +65-6371-5541 or paul_barrett@apl.com
Europe:
Michael Haig, tel: +44-1737-248-300 or michael@isiscomms.com

The full text of Earl Agron's speech is available from any of the above contacts.