The Global Shippers Forum (GSF) has voiced “grave concerns” about the cargo scanning mandates in the new US security law, which requires scanning of all air cargo carried aboard commercial aircraft within three years, and all maritime containers destined for the US at foreign ports after fi ve years.

GSF claims that 100 percent scanning will result in enormous costs to consumers without accomplishing what the requirements seek to achieve. In a comment to the Shipping Gazette it said that its views are supported by the US Department of Homeland Security, all major cargo organisations, shippers, the ocean carriers, the European Commission, and the governments of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and the UK.