The Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are increasing their scrutiny of containers at the Port of New York and New Jersey, and have begun to focus on undeclared hazardous materials in the cargo – including export cargo.
In February, CBP and U.S. Coast Guard Sector New York targeted outbound hazardous cargo at multiple terminals in Port Newark, New Jersey and Brooklyn. The five-day effort uncovered eight undeclared hazardous materials containers and 33 stolen cars, valued at more than $2.4 million. The vehicles were about to be shipped to West African countries, beyond the reach of U.S. law enforcement.
The practical objective was to prevent shipboard or pierside fires or explosions from improperly stowed hazardous materials. The dangerous goods included cars with connected batteries – a potential ignition source in the event of any electrical system shorts – and full gasoline tanks…