NEWARK, N.J. – On Aug. 1, the Transportation Security Administration will move to a 100 percent air freight screening requirement. Delays on TSA certification of scanning equipment, trust issues regarding international protocol differences and shippers’ concerns over sensitive or high-value cargo are adding to the general belief that the August deadline may not be met, but will certainly be a step in a much longer, winding road.

The jump from screening 75 percent of all cargo shipments to 100 percent – the most recent in the tiered effort to tighten passenger flight security – is much greater than it might appear. “As of Aug. 1, 100 percent means 100 percent, and there is no way around it,” said Brandon Fried, executive director of the Airforwarders Association.

In 2008, U.S. passenger flights carried 7.3 billion pounds of air freight, of which approximately 42 percent originated outside of the U.S. – beyond the TSA’s reach, said the General Accountability Office. This high percentage would undoubtedly affect the feasibility of meeting an Aug. 1 deadline, it said in a late-June report. Even when met, the deadline will still be a step leading to a larger goal of an international security net.

Regardless, the shipping industry is preparing for increased requirements. Pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer are getting their own facilities TSA certified in order to handle security for sensitive cargo in house. Business may shift to freighter operators, which have different screening rules than passenger aircraft, or forwarders with approved screening programs, reports The Journal of Commerce. “You’re going to see a lot of shippers relying on their logistics providers,” said David Wilt, global supply chain security manager for Xerox