ISSUE 1 2010

NEWS

TIACA sparks warning over battery rules

TIACA has warned that planned US government changes to rules governing transport of lithium batteries could hit the air cargo sector and its customers. It says that the new rules

planned by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) would differ significantly from those drawn up by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) by eliminating exceptions for most small, consumer-type batteries. Under the new rule, only batteries with a lithium content of less than 0.3 grams or 3.7 Watt- hours would be exempted and even these would have be subject to stowage restrictions in the aircraft hold. The new rules would apply

to all flights operated by US carriers, including international flights to or from the country or fifth freedom flights in other parts of the world. However, it would not apply to flights by

non-US carriers, even those into or out of the US itself. Under the planned changes,

lithium batteries, widely used in consumer electronic products and medical devices, would either have to be stowed in a crew-accessible location unless they were in an FAA-approved container or a Class C cargo compartment. The latter is a bellyhold compartment fitted with smoke and fire detection devices and halon gas fire-fighting systems. TIACA says the plan would

impose a significant burden on air cargo operators and would limit shipments of lithium batteries by air. The Rechargeable Battery Association estimates that billions of such batteries have been airfreighted over the past ten years. Moreover, TIACA adds

that it is “unaware of any FAA-approved container for the purposes of transporting

lithium batteries, so that exception effectively offers no relief, at least for the foreseeable future.” There is also only limited cargo space that is crew accessible on most passenger and freighter aircraft. And while Class C cargo compartments are relatively common on passenger aircraft,

they are rare on all-cargo planes. Retrofitting freighters with a Class C compartment would be costly. TIACA secretary-general

Daniel Fernandez said that while TIACA strongly supports safety efforts, PHMSA’s cost-benefit analysis underestimated the volume of

lithium battery shipments, the need for staff training and the impact on shipping costs. Nor had it considered the impact on retailers and consumers. He called for further studies to evaluate the risks and that the PHMSA defer the proposal until this was completed and the risks better understood.

7

Nigerian reg. deadline nears

With the deadline drawing near for its freight forwarders registration scheme, Nigeria’s Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), embarked on a roadshow of major sea and airports, cargo airports and land border posts to receive applications. According to local press

reports, the registration exercise has been extended from 15 to 24 April in the four major cities of Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano. CRFFN’s registrar Mike Jukwe said that ample time had been allowed for registration and warned against the consequences of failing to do so. Under legislation drawn

up in 2007, only registered freight forwarders with the abbreviation ‘RFF’ after their name would in future be allowed to operate a business containing the term ‘freight forwarder’ in its title. Unregistered individuals who practice as freight forwarders could face fines of up to N150,000 (£660) or up to a year in prison. A spokesman for the CRFFN

said that it was difficult to estimate the percentage of companies who have registered because this was the first time such an exercise had taken place, adding: “Getting credible statistics of freight forwarders, freight forwarding companies and service providers operating in Nigeria is one of the aims of this exercise.” Jukwe added that the

deadline for receipt of applications from associations of freight forwarders on 7 April had yielded five applications, from the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders Nigeria (AREFFN), the Association of Nigerian Licenced Customs Agents (ANLCA), the National Association of Air Freight Forwarders and Consolidators (NAFFAC), the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) and the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA). According to the reports, Jukwe said that only associations that meet requirements will be allowed to operate in future. Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36