Airlines on alert for new US inbound cargo rules in wake of report
- Friday, 09 February 2007
INTERNATIONAL carriers — including those from Australia — are bracing for tougher regulations, which are likely to be introduced for inbound cargo to the United States in the wake of an influential report from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) critical of current security measures.
And the new regulations could lead to a domino reaction, with higher costs for freight forwarders.
The GAO report found that efforts by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and US Customs Border Protection (CBP) to secure inbound cargo do not go far enough and need to be strengthened.
Compiled through interviews with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials — and involving site visits to seven countries in Europe and Asia — the report said the TSA and CBP had taken a number of actions designed to secure inbound air cargo, but these efforts were still largely in the early stages and could be strengthened.
GAO cited the TSA-risk-based strategic plan to address domestic air cargo security, but noted that TSA had not developed a similar strategy for addressing inbound air cargo security, including how best to partner with CBP and international air cargo stakeholders.
In addition, said GAO, while TSA had identified the primary threats to inbound air cargo, it had not yet assessed inbound air cargo vulnerabilities and critical assets. Moreover, TSA’s air cargo security rule incorporated a number of provisions aimed at enhancing the security of inbound air cargo. This final rule also acknowledged that TSA amended its security directives and programs to triple the percentage of cargo inspected on domestic and foreign passenger aircraft.
However, according to the report, TSA continues to exempt certain types of inbound air cargo transported on passenger airlines from inspection. Furthermore, TSA inspects domestic and foreign passenger carriers servicing the US to assess whether they are complying with air cargo security requirements, but currently does not conduct compliance inspections of all carriers transporting inbound air cargo.
GAO wants the TSA to develop performance goals and measures to determine to what extent airlines are complying with security requirements. It also believes the TSA and CBP should improve their processes for sharing information.
CBP recently began targeting inbound air cargo transported on passenger and all-cargo aircraft that may pose a security risk, as well as inspecting such cargo once it arrives in the US. However, TSA and CBP does not have a systematic process in place to share information that could be used to strengthen the department’s efforts in securing inbound air cargo - such as the results of TSA aircraft compliance inspections and foreign airport assessments.
GAO also sees potential problems for air cargo security on inbound flights because some foreign governments do not share the US view regarding security threats and risks.
However, it has welcomed moves by the air cargo industry and foreign governments to implement various security practices that could provide opportunities for strengthening DHS’s overall air cargo security program
Meanwhile, TSA officials have acknowledged that compiling and analysing security practices implemented by foreign air cargo stakeholders and foreign governments may provide opportunities to enhance US air cargo security, and have begun an initial review of practices in select foreign countries. TSA has also commenced working with foreign governments to co-ordinate security practices to enhance security and improve oversight - referred to as harmonisation - but these efforts may be challenging to implement.
For example, GAO said some foreign countries do not share the United States’ view regarding air cargo security threats and risks, which may make the harmonisation of air cargo security practices difficult to achieve.
It’s recommended that DHS develop a risk-based inbound air cargo security strategy; develop a systematic process to improve inter-agency communication; and analyse air cargo security practices used air cargo industry stakeholders and foreign governments to determine their applicability to the US.
