AIR CARGO SCREENING TAKES EFFECT IN AUGUST,

SHORT CARGO CUT OFF TIMES ARE IMPORTANT

 

Airfreight users should prepare for earlier cargo cut-off times if goods are to be inspected before loading in bellyholds of passenger aircraft when stringent US air cargo screening rules take effect on August 1.

 

Some airlines will demand customers tender their freight six hours - and not the four allowed today - before an aircraft’s departure if they expect the carrier to screen the goods and meet the delivery commitments.

 

Furthermore, several airlines have announced screening fees on all international shipments tendered by forwarders or shippers that have not obtained certification under the Certified Cargo Screening Facility programme launched by the US Transportation Security.

 

From August 1, all domestic cargo shipped in the below-deck compartments of passenger aircraft must be certified as having been screened or inspected at some point in the supply chain before it can be loaded.

 In an effort to push the screening responsibility upstream, the US Congress created the Certified Cargo Screening Programme (CCSP), a voluntary initiative that authorises shippers and freight forwarders to screen and inspect cargo before it reaches the airline.

 If a consolidated shipment arrives at the airline unscreened, it will have to be disassembled and each piece individually screened or physically inspected before the load is rebuilt and loaded on the aircraft.

 

Potential delays involved with such scenarios should be enough to motivate shippers - who are paying a premium for the speed of air deliveries - to screen cargo before it leaves their hands.

UFL will work closely with our customers to mitigate the additional costs.

Meanwhile, the Journal of Commerce reports that the Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of Customs and Border Protection last week called for repeal of laws requiring 100 percent scanning of ocean cargo and 100 percent screening of air cargo in the USA.

The JoC says that the bipartisan group made up of representatives of the trade and transportation community said the Department of Homeland Security should shift its supply chain security focus to place more emphasis on air and land transportation security and ensure that minimum security criteria for the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism and similar programmes adapt to changing threats in the supply chain.

It is understood that these recommendations were included in comments to the DHS policy branch, which is drafting a new national strategy for global supply chain security.

U-Freight takes its supply chain security responsibilities very seriously but believes that risk-based measures that target high-risk shipments are the most appropriate.

One hundred percent scanning of U.S. bound containers at foreign ports has drawn widespread opposition among foreign governments.