ISSUE 1 2011
NEWS
ICS – so far so good, but will do little for security
Introduction of the new Import Control System has gone reasonably smoothly in the UK, said Agency Sector Management chairman Peter MacSwiney but that there was a long way to go before the system could be deemed a success. “Delivery of the system, albeit late, has been a success, and connectivity seems to be OK,” he told FBJ. “But ICS, the new EU-wide system that will eventually provide data on most freight consignments destined for the Community, is currently only doing 8,000 transactions a day, which is a tiny proportion of the UK total, so there has been no real load testing yet.” However, with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) taking a light touch approach to insistence on import consignments being entered into ICS, he was hopeful that the load on the new system could be stepped up gradually, without precipitating any major
system failures. HMRC is reportedly allowing
traders to sort technical issues out before insisting that ICS be used, provided that genuine efforts are made to address them. However, MacSwiney poured
scorn on suggestions that ICS would lead to a significant improvement in improving security against attempts to smuggle bombs and other materials into the EU. “The fact that the integrators have an exemption for low value, low weight consignments makes it almost meaningless. The printer cartridges that were used in the Yemen attempt were exactly the sort of consignments that would be exempted from ICS declaration and were only intercepted because of a tip-off.” MacSwiney said that integrators
are allowed to bypass ICS for such consignments, provided that they can demonstrate that they have control of the data and have
an anti-smuggling system that customs have access to. MacSwiney added: “I don’t think ICS will do anything to improve security – all it will do is add bureaucracy.” He added that the integrators
had probably been exempted because the sheer volume of low cost, low value consignments would have completely swamped the system. However, the move was not popular with other freight operators, he added. On the separate issue of the robustness of the ‘Chief’ computer system (FBJ 3, page 1) MacSwiney said that performance of the Customs computer had been much better over the past few weeks. “However, we don’t yet know if that’s a long-term improvement.” However, it appeared that Cap Gemini, the new Chief service provider that took over from BT in mid-2010, had taken on board the critical nature of the system for the UK’s trade and reputation.
Early experience with ICS in the ocean freight sector suggests that a few carriers are setting unrealistic deadlines for freight data from shippers. Some are asking for the freight data five days in advance of loading, whereas customs authorities in the EU require it only 24 hours in advance for sea freight, says Shippers’ Voice
managing partner Andrew Traill. The EU’s advanced trade data rules requires that an Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) be submitted to EU authorities 24hrs before cargo loading. One North American shipper
of temperature-controlled cargo said that certain European carriers are demanding information including the container number
5 Lines’ data demands slammed
and seal details, before it had even delivered the container to the shipper for loading. One had even asked for
government health certificate numbers by the same cut-off date even though empty containers may not even be released for loading and government regulators would not issue OMIC certificates before cargo is containerised.
Geest kicks off ICS at Impatex
Short-sea shipping operator Geest Line was the first Impatex customer to submit a live ICS declaration – and one of the first anywhere in the UK - using the company’s NetFreight web-based forwarding and customs system, said the Customs processing systems specialist on 24 January. The entry was performed on the first working day of 2011, the launch date for the new regime. Geest Line IT manager Terry Gates said the
process went “very smoothly, thanks to the speed and efficiency of their support staff. We are now ahead of the game, and able to offer our customers an important new service.” More Impatex customers are starting to use the
ICS facility in NetFreight, added Impatex MD Peter Day: “Although HMRC has said it will be lenient
about the use of ICS for the next two months, we are actively encouraging our customers to adopt ICS now, rather than leaving it to the last minute.” He added: “There were some initial issues with customers not putting in not entering the EORI (Economic Operator Registration and Identification) number for the carrier EORI numbers, but it’s a learning curve.” So far, only ICS entries to UK customs have been
submitted, as connectivity to other member states’ systems are awaited. A further stage in the process, he continued, was development of an FWB message that would allow messages to be relayed by forwarders to carriers for transmission to customs authorities in other EU member states. The UK allows forwarders to send messages direct, but other member states insist that they come from the actual carrier.
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