New EU Compliance System ‘Not a Witch Hunt’

On June 19, 2012, in Compliance, International Trade, Logistics & Supply Chain Management, Trade Compliance News, by Martin Rayner

An experimental trade compliance system currently being researched by British and European customs authorities is “not a witch hunt”, according to one of the project’s key backers.

David Hesketh of HMRC made the remark at a meeting yesterday of the Association of Freight Software Suppliers (AFSS), a trade forum for logistics software providers and freight forwarders.

“If anyone thinks this is a witch hunt against freight forwarders, that is absolutely not the case,” he said. “Freight forwarders will play a key role in the new pipeline.”

Members heard that the research project, dubbed Cassandra… is a joined-up data system, or ‘pipeline’, which will cover the full length of the international supply chain and be based on an importer’s contract of sale rather than the bill of lading as is currently the case.

Cassandra has attracted €20 million of European funding and trial projects involving major logistics and IT companies are already underway. Read more here.

Source: Lloyd’s Loading List/IFW

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Martin Rayner

Martin Rayner is an independent consultant with more than 27 years of diverse experience working in various operational facets of the customs brokerage and international trade logistics field. Martin has also held executive-level positions in the industry with a number of the leading trade service providers across Canada and during his career has acted in both professional advisory and advocacy capacities for companies seeking to leverage opportunities in the regulatory environment to their benefit.

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