SA firms not all ready for new air cargo rules

While South Africa is internationally recognised as having a world-class secure air cargo supply chain, many exporters and freight forwarders still operate outside the regulated regime of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). David Alexander, general manager of compliance services at Professional Cargo Security, said that while major international freight forwarders were prepared for the EU’s new ACC3 air cargo security requirements that came into effect on July 1 2014, many local stakeholders outside the security regime were not ready, while others had adopted a “wait and see” approach. Alexander said there were presently only 19 known consignors registered as secure in South Africa, down from 89 in 2009, while 150 CAA-regulated agents represented about 80 freight forwarding companies. “The majority of freight forwarders do not participate in freight security. Security is a grudge purchase. We all want multiple screening but nobody wants to pay for it,” Alexander said. However, SA Association of Freight Forwarders Customs director, David Liebenberg, said “the secure supply chain” was a “major focus” of all legitimate freight forwarders, exporters and importers. “With the growing focus globally around compliance and security, companies cannot afford to “short cut” this area. We undertake to ensure our clients’ cargo and movement of cargo is within a secure supply chain,” Liebenberg said. Some companies may be unintentionally unprepared for ACC3 and regulators should assist with compliance, he added. Alexander said CAA cargo regulations were aligned with new European Union rules, which had raised international security standards following the 2010 Yemen print cartridge incident where security intelligence had intercepted explosives in cartridges destined for US synagogues. He said such security threats had resulted in intensified international air cargo security clampdowns by the EU and the US, holding air carriers responsible for cargo security. The International Air Transport Association (Iata) is also taking a leading role with projects such as the e-CSD, Checkpoint of the Future, and Secure Freight. The US is piloting its Air Cargo Advance Screening project, which aims to provide detailed information on the content of cargo consignments before they depart for the US, Alexander added. This will enable advanced risk analysis to identify consignments requiring enhanced screening prior to departure.