Japan - U.S. Joint announcement on a Pilot Project of Megaports Initiative

July 3, 2008

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Finance
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

The Government of Japan and the Government of the United States announced today a plan to launch a pilot project of the Megaports Initiative in Yokohama, Japan, which contributes to the promotion of secure and efficient trade as well as the nuclear non-proliferation and the enhancement of counterterrorism measures.

The Summary of the Joint Announcement is as follows;

The Governments of the United States and Japan share a common concern for the need to increase our individual and joint efforts to detect, deter and interdict illicit trafficking in nuclear and other radioactive materials, including terrorist attempts to disrupt global trade and to abuse commercial shipping to further terrorist schemes.
To address this concern, the two Governments plan to launch a pilot project to monitor cargo containers for nuclear and other radioactive materials at the Minami Honmoku Terminal of the Port of Yokohama by installing radioactive materials detection equipment.

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