Summary
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has primary responsibility for securing air cargo transported into the United States from another country, referred to as inbound air cargo, and preventing implements of terrorism from entering the country. GAO examined (1) what actions DHS has taken to secure inbound air cargo, and how, if at all, these efforts could be strengthened; and (2) what practices the air cargo industry and foreign governments have adopted that could enhance DHS's efforts to strengthen inbound air cargo security, and to what extent DHS has worked with foreign governments to enhance their air cargo security efforts. To conduct this study, GAO reviewed relevant DHS documents, interviewed DHS officials, and conducted site visits to seven countries in Europe and Asia.
Within DHS, the 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. 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. 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. However, TSA continues to exempt certain types of inbound air cargo transported on passenger air carriers from inspection. 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. 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. 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. The air cargo industry and foreign governments have implemented various security practices that could provide opportunities for strengthening DHS's overall air cargo security program. TSA officials acknowledged that compiling and analyzing security practices implemented by foreign air cargo stakeholders and foreign governments may provide opportunities to enhance U.S. air cargo security, and have begun an initial review of practices in select foreign countries. TSA has also begun working with foreign governments to coordinate security practices to enhance security and improve oversight, referred to as harmonization, but these efforts may be challenging to implement. For example, some foreign countries do not share the United States' view regarding air cargo security threats and risks, which may make the harmonization of air cargo security practices difficult to achieve.
Recommendations
Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change
from "In process" to "Implemented" or "Not implemented" based on our follow up work.
Director:
Team:
Phone:
Cathleen A. Berrick
Government Accountability Office: Homeland Security and Justice
No phone on record
Recommendations for Executive Action
Recommendation: To help strengthen the Transportation Security Administration's inbound air cargo security efforts, the Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the Assistant Secretary for the Transportation Security Administration to establish a methodology and time frame for completing assessments of inbound air cargo vulnerabilities and critical assets, and use these assessments as a basis for prioritizing the actions necessary to enhance the security of inbound air cargo.
Agency Affected: Department of Homeland Security
Status: Not on record
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: To help strengthen the Transportation Security Administration's inbound air cargo security efforts, the Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the Assistant Secretary for the Transportation Security Administration to establish a time frame for completing the assessment of whether existing inspection exemptions for inbound air cargo pose an unacceptable vulnerability to the security of air cargo, and take steps, if necessary, to address identified vulnerabilities.
Agency Affected: Department of Homeland Security
Status: Not on record
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: To help strengthen the Transportation Security Administration's inbound air cargo security efforts, the Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the Assistant Secretary for the Transportation Security Administration to develop and implement an inspection plan that includes performance goals and measures to evaluate foreign and domestic air carrier compliance with inbound air cargo security requirements.
Agency Affected: Department of Homeland Security
Status: Not on record
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: To help strengthen the Transportation Security Administration's inbound air cargo security efforts, the Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the Assistant Secretary for the Transportation Security Administration to, in collaboration with foreign governments and the U.S. air cargo industry, systematically compile and analyze information on air cargo security practices used abroad to identify those that may strengthen the department's overall air cargo security program, including assessing whether the benefits that these practices could provide in strengthening the security of the U.S. and inbound air cargo supply chain are cost-effective, without impeding the flow of commerce.
Agency Affected: Department of Homeland Security
Status: Not on record
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: To help ensure that the Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Protection take a comprehensive approach to securing air cargo transported into the United States, in the restricted version of this report the Secretary of Homeland Security should irect the Assistant Secretary for the Transportation Security Administration and the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to develop a risk-based strategy, either as part of the existing air cargo strategic plan or as a separate plan, to address inbound air cargo security, including specific goals and objectives for securing this area of aviation security. This strategy should clearly define TSA's and CBP's responsibilities for securing inbound air cargo, as well as how the agencies should coordinate their efforts to ensure that all relevant areas of inbound air cargo security are being addressed, particularly as they relate to mitigating the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction.
Agency Affected: Department of Homeland Security
Status: In process
Comments: CBP provided GAO with a copy of its International Air Cargo Security Strategic Plan. Although this plan describes the efforts CBP plans to take to secure inbound air cargo, it does not specifically address TSA's responsibilities in this area. Therefore, this recommendation will remain open until TSA provides GAO with either an update to their air cargo security strategic plan or a new plan that focuses on their inbound air cargo security efforts.
Recommendation: To help ensure that the Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Protection take a comprehensive approach to securing air cargo transported into the United States, in the restricted version of this report the Secretary of Homeland Security should irect the Assistant Secretary for the Transportation Security Administration and the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to develop a systematic process for sharing information between TSA and CBP that could be used to strengthen the department's efforts to enhance the overall security of inbound air cargo, including, but not limited to, information on the results of TSA inspections of air carrier compliance with TSA inbound air cargo security requirements and TSA assessments of foreign airports' compliance with international air cargo security standards.
Agency Affected: Department of Homeland Security
Status: In process
Comments: TSA has yet to address this recommendation.
