Security experts say the system easily could be manipulated by terrorists attempting to smuggle a bomb or other device into the country, not so much to kill people but to disrupt the nation's delicate, trade-dependent economy.

In hopes of thwarting such an attack, officials with the Department of Homeland Security discussed plans Thursday to improve the relatively low-tech deterrent by asking shippers to voluntarily install stronger locks and electronic sensors on all of their U.S.-bound containers.

"By taking away the ability to trade, you threaten a nation's way of life," Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said in a speech about new cargo security programs. "We cannot allow terrorists to blockade America."

The 8-1/2-footñtall metal boxes that dot the Lowcountry are "as dumb as a fence post, so we just want to make them smarter," U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert Bonner said during a recent speech about the "smart box" program.

The program, which would complement ongoing Customs inspections, could be a tough sell to those who will pick up the tab.

A consortium of shipping lines, shippers and retailers says such technology may offer false hopes.

"It would be a serious security error simply to assume that technology can be applied to shipping containers and solve the problem of container security," the World Shipping Council said in a statement earlier this month.

One Lowcountry shipper applauds the notion of improving container security but warned that his company would be forced to pass the cost to retailers, which in turn would pass the cost to consumers.

"But we need to do something," said John Wood, general manager of Garden Zone, which imports wire garden products at the former Charleston Navy Base for major retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target. "The (security) door is wide open, and we need it to be closed a little bit."

A recent study by security and transportation think tank Rand Europe found containers remain a serious vulnerability in America's border defenses.

"Since Sept. 11, 2001, the awareness of terrorists' actions has clearly risen. This increase, however, has not been as substantial in all fields as it has been in the air transport sector," according to the September report. "Ultimately, this means that the marine sector, and specifically the container transport sector, remains wide-open to the terrorist threat."

The threat is genuine, but the cost issue is overblown said David Porter, whose Greer-based company is working with Homeland Security to pilot a container locking and sensor device.

"The amount of investment is insignificant and miniscule compared to what would happen if there was an attack," said Porter, president of Porter Technologies.

Homeland Security officials have said better locks would cost $1 to $2, while sensors for the containers probably would end up costing about $20 once they become used widely.

The sensor device would detect if a container's doors had been opened during shipment to the United States.

Other technologies being tested can detect radiation and transmit photographic images of a container's contents.

Ridge on Thursday acknowledged the cost concerns. "Technology succeeds only when it becomes practical," he said. "And so we will leverage the scientific and academic and business communities to get solutions out of the prototype stage and onto the market, onto an affordable market."

While the country is not alone in its dependence on waterborne cargo -- there are 20 million containers in circulation worldwide, accounting for 90 percent of world trade -- Americans have seen first hand the vital economic role ports play, Porter said.

He cited last year's shutdown of several West Coast ports, which by some estimates, cost the U.S. economy $1 billion per day as hundreds of container ships were idled offshore and just-in-time manufacturers ran low on parts and raw materials.

Ridge said the new security initiative is not a mandate and merely sets minimal standards for container security upgrades. To entice companies to comply, Customs officials will establish a fast-track for containers that meet requirements.

"The shipping companies can continue to use the dumb containers, but those containers will be inspected," Bonner said.

Porter's CoreDefender device is just one of many devices the government is evaluating. Porter said his company has been awarded a federal grant but doesn't yet know where his device will be tested.

"I'm going to push to do it in Charleston," he said.

The Port of Charleston's three container terminals -- in downtown Charleston, Mount Pleasant and North Charleston -- imported and exported about 1.7 million containers last year, making it the nation's fourth busiest container port.

The State Ports Authority, the state agency that owns and operates the terminals, recently has helped test another new container technology on shipments belonging to chemical company BASF, said Anne Moise, authority vice president for public relations and human resources.

The smart box program is just one of several new initiatives aimed at securing U.S.-bound cargo. Ridge announced Thursday that electronic manifests identifying freight shipped by truck, rail, plane and ship must be sent to Customs and Border Protection officials before the goods reach the U.S. border.

While not new to ocean carriers, the advanced manifests had been voluntary for other transportation sectors.

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