In our cover story this month, Payload’s US correspondent takes a look at the impending US deadline for screening 100 per cent of cargo carried on passenger aircraft. Since the mandate was announced in 2007, the requirement has been the talking point of many a conference and conversation around the air cargo world. The mandate was clearly part of a larger knee-jerk by US politicians and security chiefs; an annoying unilateralist foible that the rest of the world has become all-too familiar with.

The idea is not wrong, as unscreened cargo in the bellies of passenger aircraft does represent a gaping security hole. While the US move is a correct one in theory, the process on the other hand has been severely flawed. As American Airlines’ cargo boss Dave Brooks succinctly put it: “The TSA now has to implement a law that is not the right law, well intentioned, but as any supply chain or security professional will tell you, the best way to secure the supply chain is to have a risk-based, target programme. That’s not what we have.

“We are stuck with a law that was emotionally driven, well-intentioned, but without the level of knowledge of how a supply chain works, that we really needed at the time. The good news is that because of the collective work that industry associations did, we have the CCSP programme that is going to make a bad law somewhat better.”

The fact that the US even has the Certified Cargo Screening Programme (CCSP) is largely a combination of industry pressure and the fact the TSA borrowed much of the concept from the UK’s ‘known consignor’ programme, as the TSA’s general manager for air cargo, Doug Brittin acknowledges.

And while this may be the best way out of a bad situation as Brooks observed, it’s still riddled with problems including cost, particularly for smaller forwarders. There is also another, bigger problem – just how big will only be clear when 1 August rolls in – of having to break down shipments to scan individual pieces, rather than whole pallets and ULDs.

And yet another headache also looms – the international component. The 100 per cent mandate also requires import cargo into the US to be screened, just like domestic and export cargo. The TSA has admitted this will not be possible 1 August because, by its very nature this international component is fraught with obstacles not least because it then involves other countries who – surprise, surprise – may have different ideas relating to supply chain security.

Many now have, or are in the process of adopting their own regulations and laws to secure supply chain activities in their countries and this adds unwanted complexity to global supply chains. Having to fulfill requirements in one country and then turn around and have to undertake overlapping or redundant measures to meet the requirements in another, unnecessarily adds cost and time.

What the industry needs is reciprocity and harmonisation: In short, the global supply chain industry needs a global standard. Until the WCO, ICAO, IATA and so on, can hammer out and get member-state agreement on a global standard, reciprocity – bi-lateral at least – must be rapidly and readily embraced. Otherwise, everyone’s worst fears of global supply chains grinding to a halt could move a few steps closerto reality.