The Air Cargo Association (TIACA) has welcomed the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Council’s adoption of important updates to its SAFE Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade.

As part of the changes, the WCO recently formally adopted the so–called ‘7 + 1’ data set as the requirement for risk data analysis, helping to standardise basic Pre-Loading Advance Cargo Information (PLACI) processes.

“This is a major step forward for Advance Data,” said Doug Brittin, TIACA secretary general. “The WCO should be praised for collaborating so closely with industry to work toward a secure supply chain while ensuring the smooth flow of commerce.”

PLACI initiatives undertaken by the US, European Union (EU), and Canada since the 2010 ‘Yemen incident’, where bombs were intercepted hidden in desktop printers shipped on express carriers, have proved that using Advance Data for civil aviation risk assessment provides an additional layer of security. TIACA is working with regulators globally to ensure that new PLACI regimes are standardised. The ‘7 + 1’ data elements include the number of pieces, total weight, general cargo description, shipper name and address, and consignee name and address (the seven), plus the house airwaybill number (the one).

“Unless the new PLACI regimes are standardised overall, there is a very real risk that cargo will be left sitting on the tarmac if it is transiting more than one regime,” said Brittin. “TIACA is working to make sure that every segment of the air freight supply chain is heard as regulators begin to implement new rules.”

“We collaborate closely with WCO and others involved in the new rule-making to ensure that we have a safe supply chain without impeding the flow of cargo. “The WCO’s recent security framework updates are a solid example of this working in practice.”

A Position Paper outlining the latest PLACI developments is available to download at tiaca.org. The 2015 version of SAFE will be available on the WCO website at wcoomd.org this month.