ANEW FRAMEWORK FOR MARITIME SECURITY INSPECTION UNDER U.S. SECURITY PROTOCOLS

摘要

Shipping, one of the major propellants of world economy, has become the means or target of organized crime and terrorism. The United States, under current circumstances, has established a series of measures such as the Container Security Initiatives (CSIs), the Customs Trade Partnership against Terrorism (C-TPAT) and 24-hours Rule to lower the potential risks involved. Though these measures have been taken, security inspection, which serves as the final defense line for illegal transportation of contrabands and weapons of mass destruction, still plays a significant role in maritime security system. However, it has to be pointed out that security inspection has an adverse influence on port efficiency and liner companies' competitiveness due to the inevitable delay This paper thus tries to present a new framework for security inspection in ports under U.S. security protocols. Based on ship courses, destinations, and cargo characteristics, it is proposed to quantify the shipment's levels of risk so as to help decide what kind of inspection should be involved. Combined with the previous work, a simulation model is then built up and used to compare the performance of the current inspection strategy and proposed differentiated one. It is believed that the new inspection measures would enhance efficiency.