US authorities have abruptly introduced new air cargo security requirements in response to a terror alert. However, the move is not expected to cause upheaval to cargo flows.
The US Transportation Security Administrtion (TSA) on June 11 notified air cargo operators that the requirements for the advance submission of manifest data for cargo destined for the US and shipments transiting the country were being modified.
Carriers had previously been required to file shipment data with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) four hours before landing at a US airport. Under the new mandate, they must transmit the data before the cargo is loaded on a US-bound aircraft, reported UK's The Loadstar.
Authorities have justified the sudden introduction of the new rules by references to 'classified intelligence' that terrorist groups are seeking to exploit weaknesses in air cargo security.
CBP stated that the revised timeframe would give it sufficient time to perform risk assessments and prevent a terrorist attack that could happen in mid-air.
The TSA and CBP have been working on the Air Cargo Advance Security (ACAS) programme since 2010 and have conducted pilot programmes that have involved US and international airlines, integrators and forwarders.
According to operators, the requirement to submit data earlier is not having an impact on processes or cut-off times for express and other urgent cargo.
MNX Global Logistics, which specialises in time-critical shipments for the life sciences sector, already transmits the required ACAS data at the time of pick-up, along with routing and master air waybill information, well ahead of take-off.
CEO Paul Martins added: 'This is fully automated and requires no frontline intervention unless a data error occurs, which is very rare. We have been doing this for years in the pilot programme, so the rule becoming mandatory was a non-event for us.'
A spokesperson for American Airlines Cargo said the carrier had been participating in the programme, 'so we will continue with business as usual.'
Likewise, Swiss WorldCargo sees no change. 'Swiss WorldCargo began participating in a pilot phase in 2012 and has been fully compliant with all ACAS requirements since 2016 and thus this rule change has no effect on our typical processes. We have, and will continue to, share required shipment data with US authorities ahead of departure,' the company said.
While the new mandate is already in effect, it has yet to be officially adopted. The revised regulations constitute the proposed final rule for ACAS. The CBP said it was open to feedback on it until August 12.
The US Transportation Security Administrtion (TSA) on June 11 notified air cargo operators that the requirements for the advance submission of manifest data for cargo destined for the US and shipments transiting the country were being modified.
Carriers had previously been required to file shipment data with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) four hours before landing at a US airport. Under the new mandate, they must transmit the data before the cargo is loaded on a US-bound aircraft, reported UK's The Loadstar.
Authorities have justified the sudden introduction of the new rules by references to 'classified intelligence' that terrorist groups are seeking to exploit weaknesses in air cargo security.
CBP stated that the revised timeframe would give it sufficient time to perform risk assessments and prevent a terrorist attack that could happen in mid-air.
The TSA and CBP have been working on the Air Cargo Advance Security (ACAS) programme since 2010 and have conducted pilot programmes that have involved US and international airlines, integrators and forwarders.
According to operators, the requirement to submit data earlier is not having an impact on processes or cut-off times for express and other urgent cargo.
MNX Global Logistics, which specialises in time-critical shipments for the life sciences sector, already transmits the required ACAS data at the time of pick-up, along with routing and master air waybill information, well ahead of take-off.
CEO Paul Martins added: 'This is fully automated and requires no frontline intervention unless a data error occurs, which is very rare. We have been doing this for years in the pilot programme, so the rule becoming mandatory was a non-event for us.'
A spokesperson for American Airlines Cargo said the carrier had been participating in the programme, 'so we will continue with business as usual.'
Likewise, Swiss WorldCargo sees no change. 'Swiss WorldCargo began participating in a pilot phase in 2012 and has been fully compliant with all ACAS requirements since 2016 and thus this rule change has no effect on our typical processes. We have, and will continue to, share required shipment data with US authorities ahead of departure,' the company said.
While the new mandate is already in effect, it has yet to be officially adopted. The revised regulations constitute the proposed final rule for ACAS. The CBP said it was open to feedback on it until August 12.