GHY Tradelines

(AirCargo News Asia)

Exporters from Asia to the US and Europe are voicing concerns about new, tougher security controls on airfreight.

The new US rules – in effect from this month – require 100% x-ray screening of all freight and the submission of detailed information about the exporters to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) before the cargo can be loaded on aircraft. US officials then give permission to load, or decide what cargo should be x-rayed or delayed pending further inquiries.

For Europe-bound freight, as well as the exporter data, new rules will include security audits of cargo owners and possibly of manufacturers. Read more here.
 

(STR Trade Report)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is expanding its Air Cargo Advance Screening pilot program, a voluntary test in which participants electronically submit certain information for air cargo at the earliest point practicable prior to loading of the cargo onto the aircraft destined to or transiting through the U.S. Applications from those wishing to participate in the ACAS pilot are due no later than Nov. 23. Click here for more information.

According to CBP, the ACAS pilot was launched in December 2010 with four express consignment air courier companies. Since then, three passenger carriers, one all-cargo carrier and one freight forwarder have joined the pilot and become operational, while an additional 12 passenger carriers, two all-cargo carriers and 15 freight forwarders are in the process of testing or development or have actively expressed an interest in becoming participants. CBP is now formalizing and expanding the pilot to include other express couriers, passenger carriers, all-cargo carriers and freight forwarders. Read more here.
 

(Journal of Commerce – Mark Szakonyi)

Agency will begin screening all cargo from international passenger flights Dec. 3

The Transportation Security Administration will begin screening all cargo arriving from international passenger flights in early December, a year after the agency was tasked to expand its screening reach from the domestic to global scale.

“Harmonizing security efforts with our international and industry partners is a vital step in securing the global supply chain,” said TSA Administrator John Pistole. “By making greater use of intelligence, TSA can strengthen screening processes and ensure the screening of all cargo shipments without impeding the flow of commerce.” Read more here.
 

(STR Trade Report)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently made available a strategic plan for its Air Cargo Advance Screening program. ACAS is a joint effort between CBP and the Transportation Security Administration that was developed after an October 2010 incident in which authorities discovered in an airplane inbound from Yemen two packages containing bombs designed to detonate over Chicago. The plan states that the “trusted shipper” concept embedded in ACAS is an essential element in enabling passenger carriers to attain the 100% screening of inbound cargo required by law without disruption to the global air cargo supply chain.

ACAS uses advance shipment data to assess risk on air cargo transported into the U.S. from foreign locations, identify cargo requiring enhanced pre-departure physical screening protocols, and prevent the loading of high-risk cargo before it departs from an overseas airport. Express carriers, passenger air carriers, freight forwarders and all-cargo air carriers can send and receive advance security filing data and related action messages for all air cargo through CBP’s Automated Targeting System based on three filing options. Read more here.
 

(AirCargoInsights.com)

Agencies and government leaders around the world are starting to get it – security and efficiency are mutually dependent and effectively addressing risk requires a focus on both. The White House released today its  National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security, which presents the international supply chain as critical to America’s national security. It aims at realizing a secure and efficient supply chain and also speaks to resilience and harmonization – which is in line with the current efforts of the joint CBP/TSA Air Cargo Advanced Screening (ACAS) initiative. Having one of the most powerful organizations in the world include efficiency and coordination in its national strategy speaks volumes about the direction we are heading in cargo security. Read more here.
 

(Handy Shipping Guide)

Shippers Should Join Discussion According to GACAG

Two new press releases today from the Global Air Cargo Advisory Group (GACAG), the body formed by the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) and the Global Shippers’ Forum (GSF) expounding the value of e-commerce and the need for continued development of cargo screening processes. The modernisation of documentary processes and better cargo security are the very raison d’être for GACAG.

At the heart of a long overdue process changes, the Group says, is the elimination of paper-based documentation. With participation from airlines, forwarders, ground handlers, customs and shippers, GACAG has initiated a review of the e-freight project launched by IATA in 2006, and will review other relevant initiatives, to identify the best possible roadmap to accelerate the implementation of a paperless transportation process. Two areas have been identified as priority for collaboration by GACAG members: the electronic air waybill (e-AWB) and the promotion of electronic Customs procedures. Read more here.

The Customs and Border Protection report of the recent meeting can be read here.
 

(NextGov.com – Aliya Sternstein)

Explosives concealed in cargo on international U.S.-bound passenger planes could go undetected, since the Transportation Security Administration has apparently failed, for the second time, to meet a deadline for scanning all parcels on overseas planes, House Democrats warned TSA officials in a letter demanding an explanation.

A year ago, U.S. officials found bomb-making materials hidden in packaged printer parts that were headed from Yemen to the United States. At the time, federal officials acknowledged the Transportation Security Administration was unable to comply with a post-Sept. 11 mandate requiring that 100% of cargo on international inbound passenger planes be screened by August 2010. TSA officials set a new deadline for the end of 2011, partly due to technological challenges. A year later, the agency is reportedly screening only “identified high-risk” parcels and lawmakers are demanding to know if TSA is sidestepping the law, according to the Oct. 31 letter. Read more here.
 

(World Trade Interactive)

The Transportation Security Administration announced Oct. 4 that it will not set a Dec. 31, 2011, deadline for 100% screening of cargo on international passenger aircraft bound for the U.S. TSA said it reached this decision after careful consideration of industry comments and a thorough examination of the unique challenges facing international cargo screening. TSA will continue to work toward meeting the statutory requirement for 100% screening but has not set a new anticipated deadline.

TSA officials had testified at a March 9 congressional hearing that they were working to meet the 100% screening requirement by Dec. 31, two years ahead of schedule. TSA had proposed the accelerated timetable in light of certain threats as well as the considerable progress made by air carriers in screening international inbound cargo. Specifically, carriers were found to be screening a higher percentage of air cargo (about 80% as of August 2010) than initially estimated (about 65%), and many air carriers were are already at or close to 100%. Read more here.
 

(World Trade Interactive)

The Transportation Security Administration has issued a correction to its Aug. 18 final rule finalizing and making two amendments to a September 2009 interim final rule on air cargo screening.

The final rule contained the language “on airport” in certain regulatory provisions, and TSA states that this language may be interpreted to not allow an aircraft operator or a foreign air carrier to screen cargo off airport, thus requiring them to become a certified cargo screening facility to screen cargo off airport for transport on passenger aircraft.

TSA is now correcting the final rule by removing the “on airport” language and thus clarifying that an aircraft operator or foreign air carrier does not have to become a CCSF to screen cargo off airport for transport on a passenger aircraft.
 

(CIFFA eBulletin — World Trade Interactive)

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration has issued a final rule making two changes to a September 2009 interim final rule codifying a statutory requirement to establish a system to screen 100% of cargo transported on passenger aircraft reports World Trade Interactive. The 2009 rule applies only to cargo loaded in the U.S. and does not apply to (a) U.S. aircraft operators or foreign air carriers when they load cargo outside the U.S. and transport it into the U.S. or (b) U.S. or foreign all-cargo operations.

The 2009 rule established the Certified Cargo Screening Program, in which TSA certifies shippers, indirect air carriers and other entities as certified cargo screening facilities to screen cargo prior to transport on passenger aircraft. Each CCSF applicant has had to successfully undergo an assessment of their facility by a TSA-approved validation firm or by TSA. In response to public comment, TSA is now removing all validation firm and validator provisions because it has the capacity to review and certify all CCSF applicants itself. As a result, TSA will henceforth conduct all assessments of facilities applying to become CCSFs.

The 2009 rule also requires aircraft operators and foreign air carriers to become certified as CCSFs to screen air cargo off-airport. TSA is deleting this requirement because these entities are already screening cargo on-airport under a TSA-approved security program and do not need a separate certification to screen cargo off-airport.

In addition, TSA is proposing a fee ranging from $31 to $51 for the processing of security threat assessments for aircraft operators, foreign air carriers and indirect air carrier personnel who have unescorted access to screened cargo to be transported on passenger aircraft to screen cargo, supervise the screening of cargo or perform certain other security functions.

(International Freighting Weekly – Alex Lennane)

IATA calls for mutual recognition of processes in all countries

The air cargo industry is calling for a global, harmonised approach to security, in the run-up to the U.S. Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) new 31 December deadline for 100% inbound air cargo screening.

Des Vertannes, Head of Cargo at the International Air Transport Association (IATA), told delegates at Air Cargo Europe in Munich last week that to implement secure supply chains “a series of principles should be put in place in countries where there are none”. He said: “The industry should have mutual recognition of all processes and airlines should be able to have one harmonised approach.”

The TSA brought forward rules for the inbound screening of cargo on passenger aircraft following October’s Yemeni bomb plot. But the plans came under fire for being beyond the U.S.’s authority and too complex to achieve in just a year.
 

(ifw – Mike King)

Lobby groups say December is too soon to ratify foreign security regimes

In the face of stiff industry pressure, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration is still undecided about whether a deadline of 31 December for the screening of all inbound cargo on passenger aircraft is feasible.

A TSA spokesman told IFW the organisation was still reviewing industry input “before determining whether to move forward with this date”, which is two years earlier than originally announced.

Leading figures in the industry have raised concerns that not enough effort has been put in by U.S. government agencies to enable foreign security regimes to be certified under the TSA’s National Cargo Security Programme.

Others have complained that forcing the system through prematurely could cause supply chain chaos. Read more here.

(Business Times – Ven Sreenivasan)

Global air cargo security should be approached from a supply chain angle, whereby security of shipments are ensured from the time of packing to loading. This would be more effective than the prevailing practice in many countries of doing 100 per cent scanning of air cargo. This was the key thrust of a message delivered by Giovanni Bisignani, director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), in his speech to 900 air cargo executives gathered in Istanbul, Turkey, for the IATA World Cargo Symposium.

‘The industry must be secure with effective measures that facilitate the speed needed to support global commerce,’ he said. ‘Air cargo security must be based on a combination of three measures – supply chain security, scanning technology and better use of e-freight data.’ Read more here (subscription required).

(Global Security Newswire – Sara Sorcher, National Journal)

Other countries need to share their screening methods with the United States if the Transportation Security Administration’s goal of screening all international cargo on passenger planes is to be met by the end of the year, said an air cargo industry executive involved in the effort.

“The TSA has told us in the past that they were not able to gain the required visibility of other countries’ programs to see if they were commensurate with the U.S. screening procedures. This is the biggest challenge,” said Brandon Fried, executive director of the Airforwarders Association, which represents the $17 billion air cargo industry.

Fried, who meets regularly with the TSA, spoke to National Journal last week before he addressed a meeting of industry officials on the issue Sunday. Airforwarders, like other cargo industry groups, is being asked by the TSA for its opinions of a new stepped-up effort to screen all inbound international packages on passenger planes by the end of the year. Read more here.

(American Shipper)

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration said it plans to reach its goal of screening all air cargo arriving by passenger airline from foreign destinations by the end of the year, accelerating its timetable by more than a year. […]

TSA and the airline industry were able to achieve the 100-percent screening goal for domestic and international flights originating in the United States, but the agency faced challenges achieving the same result on international inbound flights because it doesn’t have jurisdiction to impose regulations on foreign freight forwarders and shippers to screen cargo before departure… Read more here.

(Video: Fox News / Story: StarTribune/NYT)

Ever since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, each new security threat to airlines has increased the rigor of passenger screening. They have to remove their shoes and carry liquids only in small containers. They have to take off their belts and take laptops out of their cases. Now, they have to submit to full-body scanning machines and intrusive pat-downs.

But since the discovery in October of explosives from Yemen hidden in ink cartridges on cargo planes, the $50 billion freight business has seen little of the same kind of escalating security.

Even in the midst of one of the air cargo industry’s busiest periods of the year, governments and aviation experts continue to struggle to come up with ways to strengthen cargo security without paralyzing a business essential to global trade. Read more here.

(Journal of Commerce Online – R.G.Edmonson)

Congress Adjourns Without Action on Two Controversial Measures

Two bills that could have had significant consequences for the supply chain died quietly as the 111th Congress adjourned Wednesday. A bill that would have allowed local government to preempt federal laws governing motor carriers expired, as did one requiring 100% screening of all air cargo.

The Clean Ports Act of 2010, would have allowed local governments to preempt federal laws that govern routes, rates and service of trucks in interstate commerce.

The Air Cargo Security Act would have extended the 100% screening requirement for air cargo on passenger aircraft to all-cargo and package express airliners as well. Read more here.

(eyefortransport)

Last week, the U.S. Dept of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano met with leaders from global shipping companies and reiterated the US government’s commitment to strengthening air cargo screening and security efforts while facilitating the flow of commerce following the disrupted attempt by terrorists to conceal and ship explosive devices onboard aircraft bound for the United States in October.

Napolitano’s meeting included UPS, DHL, FedEx, Atlas, TNT and the U.S. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe.

Napolitano underscored her continued commitment to partnering with the shipping industry to strengthen cargo security through enhanced screening and preventative measures…that, starting this month, will allow the DHS to collect more comprehensive cargo information in order to make better informed decisions regarding whether high-risk shipments should be loaded onto an aircraft. Read more here.

(International Freighting Weekly – David Badger)

But ICAO stops short of call for 100% freight screening

The UN agency that oversees aviation is ready to issue new guidelines for cargo security to counter al-Qaida’s new mail-bomb strategy, but is stopping short of calling for 100% screening of packages, as some US lawmakers have urged.

Proposed changes by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) focus on supply chain security, and checking outbound air freight before it even reaches the airport. Draft guidelines will go out to all 190 member countries in the next few weeks, the agency says. Read more here.

(Aircargo Asia-Pacific)

The new U.S. Air Cargo Security Act as proposed is set to extend the 100% requirement that already applies to cargo being shipped on passenger flights to include all air cargo, whether carried on freighters or on scheduled passenger services.

Under the bill, the Department of Homeland Security will address three key areas of dedicated air cargo shipping:
• Creation of regulations for screening 100% of cargo transported on all-cargo aircraft within three years and achieving 50% screening of all cargo within 18 months of passage of the legislation.

• A system for the regular inspection of shipping facilities and associated security procedures for air cargo carried on all-cargo planes to ensure appropriate security controls, systems and protocols are in place.

• Create arrangements with foreign governments to ensure inspections are conducted on a regular basis at shipping facilities for cargo being transported by air to the United States.