2


NEWS


The civil unrest and military intervention in Libya continued to disrupt freight operations in lte March, but freight forwarders reported that some shipments were still getting through, even as battles for control of the country were raging. A spokesman for NVOCC Cardinal Maritime said on 24 March that boxes were still getting through to Tripoli and Benghazi, sporadically. “Some shipping lines are keeping boxes in Malta and moving them when they get a chance into either


port.”


While the UN has imposed sweeping


sanctions on the


country, most of the cargo did however appear to be commercial rather than aid traffic. However, nothing was getting through to Misurata, about 120 miles east of Tripoli where the fiercest battles between rebels and government troops loyal to Colonel Gadaffi were raging. Ordinarily, the port would be served by road from either seaport and land links had been cut. A Turkish ferry carrying


doctors and medical supplies


from Izmir was reported to be unable to dock in the port on 30 March.


Trouble on the streets but freight is not badly affected


Be ready for when disaster strikes, urges customs body


The World Customs Organisation is


urging countries around


the world to get prepared for future natural disasters ahead of when a disaster actually strikes. A smooth-running customs operation can literally make the difference between life and death, says the Brussels-based intergovernmental organisation, which represents customs services around the world. WCO’s deputy secretary general, Sergio Mujica, who is responsible for the natural disaster relief file, told FBJ: “There us a huge difference between when customs


performs well


and when it does not in natural disasters.” He said that the WCO Council has set up a working group with a mandate to define a clear strategy for customs organisations in partnership with other bodies such as the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to develop best practice.


The work is expected to result in a resolution on the subject for approval by the WCO Council during their annual sessions at the end of June 2011. Essentially,


the objective is to ensure that Customs administrations facilitate


and accelerate the


clearance of relief aid and goods in post-disaster situations and, to the extent possible, ensure full involvement of Customs in national disaster relief structures. Preparation is the key, stressed Mujica: “When a disaster strikes, you don’t have time to study guidelines. You need a set of procedures, and you need to know how to follow them. This is not a time for improvisation” Training therefore was also crucially important.


WCO was urging all customs services around the world to look at their procedures, not just those in the developing world or those in regions that seemed to be more prone to floods or earthquakes.


Although the resolution would be for natural disasters, many of the principles could be applied to man made situation such as wars or refugee crises.


It should be borne in mind also that customs would almost certainly be dealing with a vastly increased


workload during a


crisis situation and it would often also be necessary for the customs service to work with that of neighbouring countries. This was the case in Haiti where much of the aid travelled through the neighbouring Dominican Republic. Co-ordination with other border agencies was also important.


With customs under stress, it was also important for customs services in other parts of the world to help them check for terrorist materials and activity or for smugglers taking advantage of the situation to smuggle cultural artefacts illegally out of the country. WCO


has been warning


customs administrations that criminals might take advantage of the recent unrest in Egypt to illegally smuggle out cultural artefacts. There have already been reports of pillage at the Cairo museum and other important archaeological sites. Any object leaving the country should be accompanied by a certificate attesting that the exportation is legal.


Another key aspect is the


need to ensure that goods being exported from disaster-afflicted countries are not unnecessarily impeded


or subjected to


unwarranted restrictions by importing countries. The WCO’s Permanent Technical Committee plans to consider this question soon.


There is no suggestion though that Japanese customs have mishandled the situation following the earthquake, however. WCO secretary general Kunio Mikuriya in fact commended the Japanese authorities


“on their calm


and firm handling of a very difficult situation which has shown the importance both of transparency and of the open flow of information concerning the constantly evolving situation in the country. undoubtedly


also helps


This to


keep Japan’s trading partners abreast of developments and ensures that they have all the information needed to develop a measured response based on scientific evidence, a principle which is fully in line with WCO standards,” he added.


A spokeswoman for FCL/LCL operator Tarros Line said that while bookings to Libya had been suspended until further notice – and virtually all customers had halted exports anyway – shipping lines were still attempting to deliver cargo already en route. Speaking on 24 March she said: “We have had a discharge in Benghazi earlier this week and another vessel en route to Tripoli is currently waiting outside Malta with cargo on board to see how the situation develops.” However, Dutch-owned ro ro operator Van Uden said it had put all Libyan cargo on hold until further notice.


Freight services to other parts of North Africa have been fairly unscathed. Austin Duffy, marketing manager of Bradford- based trailer operator Redhead International said that its main North African services to Tunisia and Morocco had scarcely been affected. “Our Tunisian receiving agent never even shut up shop, although we did hear that the country’s other main receiving agent, which was owned by the president’s son-in-law, got burned down.” Redhead’s partner in North Africa is Millitzer & Munch, which has its own offices and staff.


The company decided to keep its trailer services moving rather


ISSUE 2 2011 Libyan battles rage but cargo still gets through


than holding them in the UK – a decision that was vindicated as there was scarcely any disruption to ferry services.


Redhead has only a very limited amount of traffic to Libya and it was too early to say if a change of regime there would encourage it to set up services. It would take a long time, if ever, for the country to emulate Tunisia and Morocco with their extensive textile industries. Even before the latest events, it was seen as a difficult country for freight forwarders to deal with; problems included rampant bureaucracy, lack of shipping services and chronically congested ports. At Damco, general manager in Morocco, Oussama El Edghiri, added:“Morocco and Algeria were not affected at all. Tunisia, however, was blocked for 15 days during January due to the day time curfew and we couldn’t


manage any inland


transportation nor any ocean or air shipments. During February and March, some delays have been experienced at Tunis port.” In Egypt, container shipping line CMA CGM said it was operating a normal service and all its offices and agencies were open. Yemen also reported in late March that the port of Aden was operating normally, despite the widespread unrest on the streets of the capital and elsewhere in the country.


UPS in ‘cake bomb’ scare


Only months after the foiled Yemini bomb plot, express carrier UPS has found itself at the centre of another security incident when a UK resident succeeded in smuggling a fake bomb on one of its flights to


Istanbul. Department for Transport officials were said to


be investing how the device, disguised as a wedding cake and containing a timer, wires and detonator but no explosive, went undetected throughout its journey. A 26-year-old man was arrested in relation to the crime but has been released on bail.


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