Dakosy tells air cargo to prepare for new EU security requirements

Software firm Dakosy has urged the air cargo industry to start preparing for the latest phase of the European Union’s (EU) Import Control System (ICS) for security declarations.

ICS2 means that from March 2023 airlines will need to submit shipment information to a new centralised system named the Shared Trader Interface before the goods are loaded onto an aircraft.

Previously, the shipment information needed to be submitted electronically no later than four hours before arrival at the customs authority where the goods first reached the borders of the EU.

In another change, airlines can submit only the basic information and the forwarders and logistics providers can add the more sensitive details to the Shared Trader Interface at a later date.

This provides competitive protection for forwarders as they are not sharing customer details with the carriers.

Simon Lembke, director of customs and forwarding applications at Dakosy, said: “Freight forwarders and logistics providers no longer need to disclose the names of their customers and their related critical data to the shipping companies or airlines in the course of the procedure.”

Dakosy said that participants in the ICS process should prepare for the changeover in good time.

“It must be ensured that sufficiently precise data can be provided,” explained the software firm. “A standardised format called the Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) has been defined for ICS2, which does not permit any deviations.

“The required accuracy of the data is also becoming stricter, for example in the case of the HS code (Harmonised Commodity Description and Coding System). Previously, either the goods description or at least four digits of the HS code  had to be provided for the entry summary declaration; in the future, all six digits of the HS code must be transmitted.”

Lembke added: “For our customers, which include many major airlines and shipping companies, we already work with this format. So for them, by and large, everything remains as it is, and we take care of the new reporting path and, if necessary, an adaptation of the interfaces.

“However, we recommend checking well in advance to find out the extent to which business processes need to be updated and employees need to be trained.”