FORWARDERS are facing an array of challenges in meeting the recent new security requirements for air cargo shipments added by the US and Canadian governments following reports of two packages containing incendiaries having caught on fire within European parcel networks.
Global forwarder association FIATA said the emergency measures will have a significant impact on shippers in the European and CIS regions where they apply, particularly for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) with lower volume shipments.
The new requirements began to be added in mid/late August following the discovery of the packages, reports London's Air Cargo News.
'Due to the complexity and suddenness of the new requirements, FIATA has received industry feedback voicing concerns on the uneven application of the new measures, as well as the new technical and operational challenges brought by the new data requirements introduced in the US Advance Cargo Air Screening (ACAS) programme,' FIATA said.
'The challenges in implementing the new requirements have reportedly led to certain air carriers imposing an embargo on all cargo originating from Europe and the CIS region.'
The new requirements led to Korean Air Cargo placing an embargo on shipments from Europe and CIS countries to the US until November 18.
FIATA added that it is working closely with its airfreight network to monitor the situation and support the industry in implementing the new emergency measures.
'Fiata calls on air carriers to continue to, as far as possible, accept cargo tendered from European and CIS countries in accordance with the new emergency measures, to foster the smooth flow of trade,' the organisation said.
In addition, the organisation called on governments worldwide for greater harmonization in data requirements in pre-loading advance cargo information programmes to facilitate effective and efficient industry compliance, whilst meeting the safety and security objectives of such programmes.
The US Airforwarders Association (AfA) also previously told Air Cargo News that obtaining some of the extra information requested by the US had created challenges for forwarders.
'The air cargo security landscape is constantly evolving in response to an ever-changing threat environment,' AfA executive director Brandon Fried said.
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Global forwarder association FIATA said the emergency measures will have a significant impact on shippers in the European and CIS regions where they apply, particularly for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) with lower volume shipments.
The new requirements began to be added in mid/late August following the discovery of the packages, reports London's Air Cargo News.
'Due to the complexity and suddenness of the new requirements, FIATA has received industry feedback voicing concerns on the uneven application of the new measures, as well as the new technical and operational challenges brought by the new data requirements introduced in the US Advance Cargo Air Screening (ACAS) programme,' FIATA said.
'The challenges in implementing the new requirements have reportedly led to certain air carriers imposing an embargo on all cargo originating from Europe and the CIS region.'
The new requirements led to Korean Air Cargo placing an embargo on shipments from Europe and CIS countries to the US until November 18.
FIATA added that it is working closely with its airfreight network to monitor the situation and support the industry in implementing the new emergency measures.
'Fiata calls on air carriers to continue to, as far as possible, accept cargo tendered from European and CIS countries in accordance with the new emergency measures, to foster the smooth flow of trade,' the organisation said.
In addition, the organisation called on governments worldwide for greater harmonization in data requirements in pre-loading advance cargo information programmes to facilitate effective and efficient industry compliance, whilst meeting the safety and security objectives of such programmes.
The US Airforwarders Association (AfA) also previously told Air Cargo News that obtaining some of the extra information requested by the US had created challenges for forwarders.
'The air cargo security landscape is constantly evolving in response to an ever-changing threat environment,' AfA executive director Brandon Fried said.
SeaNews Turkey
