US Customs gives e-AWB green light
12 / 11 / 2012
AMERICA’S Customs and Border Protection authority (CBP) is to approve the use of the electronic Air Waybill (e-AWB) for air cargo shipments to and from the US.
E-AWBs will be accepted for consignments at more than 120 CBP facilities across the USA and Puerto Rico for both import and export.
The announcement has been welcomed by IATA, which is forging ahead with its bid to see the e-AWB – the cornerstone of its e-freight initiative – rolled out across the air cargo industry.
Chris Goater, a spokesman for the association, states: “Our aggregate figure for potential savings across the industry – once e-freight is fully implemented – is US$4.9bn a year.”
Echoing his comments Tony Tyler, IATA’s director general, declares: “More than a third of world trade by value – translating to US$5.2 trillion – moves by air.
“Acceptance of the e-Air Waybill in the world’s largest economy marks a major step toward our target of 100 per cent acceptance of the e-AWB and our ultimate goal of eliminating paper from the air cargo process”.
