Neutron scanner out, pre-arrival reports in
- Friday, 09 February 2007
THE AUSTRALIAN Customs Service (ACS) has terminated the trial of a neutron scanner X-ray due to a range of disappointing results.
The move was announced at the CBFCA New South Wales Convention by Jane Bailey, ACS national director cargo, who said Customs had reverted to the “normal model” of air cargo screening.
She revealed that the scanner and trial process had cost Customs an estimated A$8.4 million.
Bailey also told delegates that the ACS target of screening 70 per cent of air cargo was an increasing challenge due to rising volumes.
According to Paul Zalai, CBFCA manager freight and business operations, the government’s focus on border security and trade facilitation places an increased emphasis on the need for improved reporting processes to support physical examination strategies.
“Customs is currently exploring alternate cargo reporting,” he said. “Whilst the initial focus of this work is aimed at sea cargo, a similar model has obvious benefits for Customs and industry to ensure pre-arrival reporting in an air cargo environment.“In essence, this will have no impact on express carriers and other compliant forwarders, but will enforce a change in practice for other stakeholders.
“This approach ties in with the IATA E-Freight initiative to facilitate the transmission of data between forwarders, airlines and Customs administrations,” added Zalai.
Setting the scene in relation to border security initiatives at the CBFCA New South Wales Convention, Bettina Rock, air cargo compliance manager NSW Office of Transport Security DOTARS, explained how local initiatives were dovetailing into international cargo practices.
DOTARS initiatives, she said, were designed to work within the scope of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) to build an effective security regime to protect supply chains.
More specifically, she outlined details on the WCO Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade:
• Harmonising the advance electronic reporting of cargo — the pre-arrival reporting of Customs data on cargo.
• The application of consistent risk management approaches to identify high-risk cargo.
• Non-intrusive examination (For example, by X-ray) of outbound cargo when requested by destination countries.
• Customs or similar agencies providing benefits to private sector firms that meet minimal supply chain security standards.
