Electronic cargo seal for safe and secure supply chain traceability

Recently, the United Statesgovernment plans to introduce electronic container seals on all imported containers as a mandatory requirement. Further, containers without electronic seals may be prohibited or restricted for import based on this planned regulation. An electronic seal is a tamper-free seal with radio frequency identification (RFID) chips embedded in it. It could provide additional security information such as the tamper evidence and the history of tampering status. In this paper, a brief review of the types of container seals, the characteristics of electronic seals, and their system components are presented. International efforts for securing cargo security are also reviewed including Container Security Initiative (CSI), Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT), and International Standards Organization (ISO) requirements. Finally, the current issues and the status of technology development are discussed with future directions as a final word