WASHINGTON — U.S. Customs and Border Protection is not doing a satisfactory job under the 9/11 Commission Act, which requires 100 percent of U.S.-bound cargo containers to be scanned by 2012.

As a result, the Government Accountability Office recommended that CBP conduct a feasibility analysis, cost estimates, and cost-benefit analysis and present the results to Congress.

"CBP has made limited progress in scanning containers at the initial ports participating in the SFI (Secure Freight Initiative) program, leaving the feasibility of 100 percent scanning largely unproven," the report said. "Since the inception of the SFI program, CBP has not been able to achieve 100 percent scanning at any participating port. While CBP has been able to scan a majority of the U.S.-bound cargo containers at the comparatively low volume ports, it has not achieved sustained scanning rates above five percent at the comparatively larger ports.

According to the report, while CBP has developed a strategy to expand SFI to select ports where it will mitigate the risk of weapons of mass destruction entering the U.S., it has not come up with a plan to scan 100 percent of U.S.-bound container cargo by 2012. In addition, the agency has not conducted a feasibility study of expanding 100 percent scanning, which is required by the SAFE Port Act.

"Such an analysis could help both CBP and Congress determine the most effective way forward to enhance container security," the report said. "CBP does not have a plan to scan cargo containers at all ports because, according to agency officials, challenges encountered thus far in implementing SFI indicate that doing so worldwide will be difficult to achieve."

The 100 percent scanning requirement is a departure from existing container security programs in that it requires that all containers be scanned before CBP determines their potential risk level.

Senior CBP officials and international trading partners say this change differs from CBP’s current risk-based approach based on international supply chain security standards.

"Our work also indicates that the 100 percent scanning requirement could present challenges to the continued operation of existing container security programs — depending upon how the SFI program is implemented and 100 percent scanning is achieved.

"Some foreign governments have stated they may adopt a reciprocal requirement that all U.S. origin containers be scanned."