The Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (Customs, CBP) issued a press  release today announcing that the United States and Panama have signed a  Declaration of Principles that includes the implementation of Customs'  Container Security Initiative (CSI) in Panamanian ports.
The Container Security Initiative is a cooperative effort with host  Country  governments to identify and screen high-risk shipments before they leave  participating ports for the United States.
"We are committed to using high-tech equipment and smarter, more secure  containers to safeguard the supply chain, but realize that cooperation  from  our friends around the globe is our most potent weapon,”
Customs  Commissioner  W. Ralph Basham said, according to the release.
The release stated that Customs hopes to certify CSI operations at the  Panamanian ports of Colon, Manzanillo and Balboa this year.
According to Customs' statistics, about 82 percent of all cargo containers  destined for U.S. shores originate in, or are transshipped through, 50 CSI  ports in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and North,
South and Central America.