“Due to these complex factors the effectiveness of applying this blanket approach to ensure the security of shipments is questionable,” said the WCO.

The study reveals that international trade, shipping, port and Customs administrations will need to undergo “pivotal and costly changes” to accommodate US Congress legislation passed last year, which mandates that all containers destined for the US be scanned before loading at the port of origin by 1 July, 2012. The legislation has implications for more than 600 worldwide ports.

Said Michel Danet, WCO secretary general: “There is no question that we are all determined to find the best practical solution; one that will provide the US with the added security it seeks to prevent any act of terrorism from being carried out using international shipping channels, but which will not burden global trade unnecessarily.”

Port authorities and Customs services have reportedly voiced two main concerns: first centring on the technical and organisational difficulties of bringing 100% scanning of US-bound exports into operation by 2012, and second on the issue of reciprocity for box traffic leaving the US for main ports in other countries.