Department of Homeland Insecurity

"RichA" wrote in message

> A mailed item takes 15 days to go from New York to Toronto because
> "they" got involved. A 2ft aluminum tube for a telescope got stopped
> for inspection because "it could have been used in centrifuges for
> refining nuclear materials."
> I sincerely doubt it is stout enough, accurate enough or made of the
> right alloy. Maybe they liked the nice, blue paint job?
> I guess I was lucky though, they didn't charge me for the inspection!!

Paranoid!

Now I know why my GPS puck is taking so long to come from the USA!
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Savageduck wrote in


> On 2011-10-25 09:30:12 -0700, RichA said:
>
>> A mailed item takes 15 days to go from New York to Toronto because
>> "they" got involved. A 2ft aluminum tube for a telescope got stopped
>> for inspection because "it could have been used in centrifuges for
>> refining nuclear materials."
>> I sincerely doubt it is stout enough, accurate enough or made of the
>> right alloy. Maybe they liked the nice, blue paint job?
>> I guess I was lucky though, they didn't charge me for the inspection!!
>
> Actually, if you were importing to the USA you could well be charged
> for the inspection. HS will randomly flag containers for inspection
> prior to customs clearing. The container is trucked to a certified
> inspection center, which might or might not be a specific shipping
> company facility. The load is broken down and inspected, repacked and
> then cleared through customs.
> The inspection cost is charged to the shipping company and passed on to
> the recipients.
>

True. Friend of mine got nailed for $400.00 for that.
 >> Stay informed about: Department of Homeland Insecurity 

>> Actually, if you were importing to the USA you could well be charged
>> for the inspection. HS will randomly flag containers for inspection
>> prior to customs clearing. The container is trucked to a certified
>> inspection center, which might or might not be a specific shipping
>> company facility. The load is broken down and inspected, repacked and
>> then cleared through customs.
>> The inspection cost is charged to the shipping company and passed on to
>> the recipients.
>>
>
>True. Friend of mine got nailed for $400.00 for that.

Does this imply that, for a given purchase, the buyer does not
what their cost will be until the item actually arrives?

Or do the inspection fees get spread over all packages by most
(obviously not all...) shippers?

The first case would seem tb a major brake on commerce.
--
PeteCresswell
 >> Stay informed about: Department of Homeland Insecurity 

On 2011-10-26 10:16:03 -0700, "(PeteCresswell)" said:

>
>>> Actually, if you were importing to the USA you could well be charged
>>> for the inspection. HS will randomly flag containers for inspection
>>> prior to customs clearing. The container is trucked to a certified
>>> inspection center, which might or might not be a specific shipping
>>> company facility. The load is broken down and inspected, repacked and
>>> then cleared through customs.
>>> The inspection cost is charged to the shipping company and passed on to
>>> the recipients.
>>>
>>
>> True. Friend of mine got nailed for $400.00 for that.
>
> Does this imply that, for a given purchase, the buyer does not
> what their cost will be until the item actually arrives?
>
> Or do the inspection fees get spread over all packages by most
> (obviously not all...) shippers?
>
> The first case would seem tb a major brake on commerce.

The inspections are random inspections of shipping containers and
trucks where the certification at the export port/country has not been
subject pre-shipment inspection. There is no 100% inspection of all
containers upon arrival in the US and placement in customs bond. So
there is an element of chance for those shipments subject to this
lottery. The shipping company will only apply the charges to imported
goods or property in containers actually inspected. They do not
pre-apply charges since not all containers hold property of a single
importer and share of costs can vary. More costs of 9/11.

Goods shipped from countries such as Italy, or South Korea for example,
if correctly documented, are not subject to these inspections.

Homeland Security has generated a whole new employment opportunity by
creating the Import Safety Commercial Targeting & Analysis Center
(CTAC).
In short, I would make sure that you don't get too many imports
entering the USA by road via Laredo, El Paso, or San Ysidro.

--
Regards,

Savageduck
 >> Stay informed about: Department of Homeland Insecurity 

Per Savageduck:
> More costs of 9/11.
>
>Goods shipped from countries such as Italy, or South Korea for example,
>if correctly documented, are not subject to these inspections.
>
>Homeland Security has generated a whole new employment opportunity by
>creating the Import Safety Commercial Targeting & Analysis Center
>(CTAC).
>In short, I would make sure that you don't get too many imports
>entering the USA by road via Laredo, El Paso, or San Ysidro.

So we're protected from terrorists that don't know about the
Italy/South Korea policy.....

Must be the same mentality that is spending big bucks on a chain
link fence on the sides of the road near a New Jersey (Ocean
City...) bridge over the bay - to protect the bridge from
terrorists that can't find bolt cutters, don't know about
wrapping one end of a chain around a fence post and the other end
around the trailer hitch of a pickup truck, or don't know about
boats.

Either that or somebody's got a brother in the fence business....

Come to think of it, my money's on #2....

Geeze, I *really* hope this particular pendulum is at least
approaching the end of it's arc....
--
PeteCresswell
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