National security interests require that measures be taken for the protection of vessels, harbors, ports and waterfront facilities of the United States from threats of espionage, foreign electronic intelligence collection, sabotage, intelligence collection operations directed against sensitive U.S. defense facilities from foreign vessels, and related subversive activities including the introduction into the United States of persons or materials in the pursuance of such activities. It is also in our national interest that the entry of vessels of certain nations (as specified below) into U.S. ports be permitted only in reciprocity for the admission of U.S. vessels to ports of those countries or in reciprocity for other considerations.
To fulfill these national requirements, the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating, is hereby assigned the responsibility for the promulgation, in consultation with the Secretaries of State, Treasury and Defense, the Attorney General (Director, FBI) and the Director of Central Intelligence, of a U.S. port security program to meet the objectives as set out below. (The Port Security Committee, as established, will continue to be the principal advisory body to the Secretary of the Departinent in which the Coast Guard is operating concerning the administration of the Port Security Program.)
The objectives of the United States' Port Security Program are as follows:
2. Requests for entry into U.S. ports by vessels known to be under the effective control of or bearing the flag of the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Poland and Romania are to be considered on the basis of reciprocity for actions taken by the governments of those countries with respect to requests for admission of U.S. vessels to their ports or reciprocity for other considerations. (In exercising primary responsibility for obtaining an understanding with these governments recording this requirement, the Department of State shall consult with the Port Security Committee. The U.S. port security measures prescribed in paragraphs 3b and 3c below are not subject to modifications through reciprocal agreement and are, therefore, to be excluded from discussions of understandings reached with other nations on the reciprocity issue.)
3. Application of the following port security measures in the case of requests for entry into the U.S. ports on the part of vessels known to be under the effective control of or bearing the flag of the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Poland or Romania:
a. Each such vessel must submit an advance request or notice for entry into a U.S. port and notification as to scheduled time of arrival;
b. The Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating -- in consultation with the Port Security Cormittee -- shall determine the action to be taken with respect to each such vessel seeking admission to a U.S. port. Such actions are as follows:
c. Each such vessel shall be boarded and searched by the United States Coast Guard at intervals considered appropriate by the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating, in consultation with the U.S. Port Security Committee, as a condition for entry to a U.S. port.
5. The Chairman of the Port Security Committee, in consultation with DOD (Navy), CIA and the FBI, shall maintain a continuing assessment of threats to U.S. national security posed by entry into U.S. ports of vessels under the effective control of or bearing the flag of countries identified herein. Specific threat assessments shall be made upon request of the Chairman of the Port Security Committee.
6. Identification of an unacceptable threat to U.S. national defense and security by a visiting foreign vessel, as specified in objective 2, will normally result in denial of entry. However, should a lower degree of security threat result in approval of entry, necessary surveillance or other restrictions will be implemented by the appropriate security agency upon request of the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating based upon advice from the Port Security Committee.
7. The national categories specified in this NSDD may be updated by the Port Security Committee subject to approval by the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs.