India is moving towards joining an American global container security system aimed at stopping the proliferation by sea of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, reports The Business Standard of India.

Discussions are at an advanced stage for India's participation in the American-led Container Security Initiative (CSI), a multi-national programme for monitoring and disrupting supplies of dangerous items before they can reach the shores of a participating country.

CSI is a security regime to ensure that all containers, which pose a potential risk of terrorism are identified and inspected at ports other than those in the destination country. Participating countries will have reciprocal rights to send custom officers to US ports to target ocean-going, container traffic bound for their territories.

CSI addresses the threat to global trade posed by the potential terrorist use of shipping containers to deliver chemical weapons. Devised after the 9/11 terror attacks, CSI is designed to safeguard global maritime trade while allowing cargo containers to move faster and more efficiently through the supply chain at seaports worldwide.

By participation in CSI, India expects to ensure better security by preventing any dangerous items from reaching its shores. With regard to commercial advantages, sources said the participation was aimed at ensuring unhindered movement of items across the globe, particularly those having genuine technological use but suspected by some of having dual use.