US Air Cargo Security Could Be Improved, Investigators Say

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have taken a number of actions designed to secure inbound air cargo, but these efforts are still largely in the early stages and could be strengthened, according to a new government report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

GAO is the nonpartisan investigative arm of Congress.

"For instance, TSA completed a risk-based strategic plan to address domestic air cargo security, but has not developed a similar strategy for addressing inbound air cargo security, including how best to partner with CBP and international air cargo stakeholders," GAO says. "In addition, while TSA has identified the primary threats to inbound air cargo, it has not yet assessed inbound air cargo vulnerabilities and critical assets. Moreover, TSA’s air cargo security rule incorporated a number of provisions aimed at enhancing the security of inbound air cargo. This final rule also acknowledges that TSA amended its security directives and programs to triple the percentage of cargo inspected on domestic and foreign passenger aircraft."

TSA continues to exempt certain types of inbound air cargo transported on passenger air carriers from inspection, GAO found. Further, TSA inspects domestic and foreign passenger air carriers with service to the United States to assess whether they are complying with air cargo security requirements, but currently does not conduct compliance inspections of all air carriers transporting inbound air cargo, it says. Moreover, TSA has not developed performance goals and measures to determine to what extent air carriers are complying with security requirements.

"In addition, CBP recently began targeting inbound air cargo transported on passenger and all-cargo aircraft that may pose a security risk and inspecting such cargo once it arrives in the United States," GAO says. "TSA and CBP, however, do not have a systematic process in place to share information that could be used to strengthen the department’s efforts in securing inbound air cargo, such as the results of TSA air carrier compliance inspections and foreign airport assessments."

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