US wants more data for air cargo security

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which is in charge of all cargo security measures in the US, intends to collect more data from carriers, shippers and forwarders in an effort to tighten the US security regime on air cargo. The initiative is the latest development in response to the discovery of bombs in shipments tendered to FedEx and UPS in late October.

In a meeting with senior executives from the four largest integrated express carriers, Atlas Air and the US Postmaster General, DHS Secretary declared that the authorities want to gather more comprehensive information about airfreight shipments prior to their transportation by air. The objective is to establish a better platform to allow decisions whether high-risk shipments should be loaded onto planes.

To that end, the DHS is about to launch three pilot projects which are intended to determine what additional data can be submitted to the authorities ahead of transportation for improved risk assessment. One pilot programme involves integrated express carriers, one works with all-cargo airlines and the third one with forwarders. All three are due to kick off in January.

Scope and duration of the pilots have yet to be determined, according to Brandon Fried, executive director of the US Airforwarders Association. Likewise, the authorities are still evaluating which additional data elements are going to be covered. Most likely they will include data elements on forwarders' bill of lading, he said.

"We hope whatever they ask for is going to be workable, reasonable. We don't want to be asked to submit data elements that are not available too close to departure," he added.

One area of concern would be ad hoc express shipments, where the shipper does not know six hours prior to departure that there will be a shipment, Fried remarked. "Maybe they can step up screening in advance as a possible solution," he reflected a key element of the new push is the close co-operation between US Customs & Border Protection (CBP), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the air cargo industry. Friedistrative entities to align their efforts. CBP has many years' experience in data flow to and from parties in the industry, an area where the TSA has not had much exposure, he said.

Collaboration is also a key theme in the US authorities' approach to international cargo security. DHS secretary Napolitano noted that ongoing collaboration with foreign governments to align cargo security efforts was based on a layered security approach rather than 100 percent screening on all-cargo aircraft, which she declared was "an easy thing to say, but it's probably not the best way to go".

The central platform of the emerging international airfreight security regime will be the guideline proposals that are currently being developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Due for completion in the coming weeks, they are going to be closely aligned with existing TSA guidelines, which have emphasised a layered approach to screening. According to initial reports, they will focus on screening cargo before it reaches an airport.

This approach is also championed by the Global Air Cargo Advisory Group (GACAG), a new industry body composed of representatives of TIACA, IATA and FIATA (the international airline and forwarder organisations) and the Global Shippers' Forum. It recently asked the World Customs Organisation to join. The group has advocated that ICAO should be the global focal point for the development of global air cargo security regulations and standards.

GACAG has made it clear that it is concerned that new security requirements in response to the latest terrorist attacks through aviation might disrupt the flow of global commerce. To industry executives' relief, DHS and TSA have signalled that they are intent on strengthening air cargo screening and security efforts while facilitating the flow of commerce.
(Source:www.cargonewsasia.com)