WCO SUPPLY CHAIN SECURITY TASK FORCE WANTS SHIPPERS? INPUT

WCO SUPPLY CHAIN SECURITY TASK FORCE WANTS SHIPPERSÆ INPUT    A special World Customs Organization task force to develop guidelines to protect the international supply chain security against terrorist acts wants shippers to share their expertise in this field.
   The task force was established in June through a resolution agreed upon by the heads of the world's customs administrations during a meeting in Brussels. The goal of the task force is to draft the so-called 'Resolution on Security and Facilitation of the International Supply Chain' by June 2003.
   Following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, governments from around the world became concerned that terrorists may conduct future attacks through legitimate conveyances for moving freight, such as ocean containers.
   'The main objective of the resolution is to put the building blocks in place that will ensure the integrity of international supply chains with a view to contributing to the conditions that will stimulate international trade,' said Pravin J. Gordhan, WCO chairman and commissioner of the South African Revenue Service, at a meeting with industry in Brussels Oct. 14. 'The resolution sets out to radically alter the paradigm in which customs administrations function: We realize that our role is not restricted to controlling the importation and exportation of goods, but that we are ideally positioned to make a key contribution to ensuring safer and faster trade.'
   While customs administrations must find ways to work together to identify high-risk consignments, they will also rely heavily on shippers' supply chain security experiences and procedures in developing the WCO supply security resolution.
   'Absolutely nothing can be done without listening to the private sector,' said Michel Danet, secretary general of the WCO. 'In the field of partnership, we're going beyond declarations of intent.'
   Global shippers and industry groups agreed at the Brussels meeting that with their input the WCO should take a lead role to develop international supply chain security measures for both customs administrations and shippers to follow.
   'The WCO should lead the global effort to develop and implement international supply chain security guidelines with input and support of the global business community,' said Fermin, chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce Commission on Customs & Trade Regulations.
   Many shippers are also concerned that without an international set of supply chain security protocols for customs administrations to follow, they would be subject to substantial increases in shipping costs. 'We cannot afford to have a multiplicity of ways to secure our containers,' said Margie Pierce, director of international distribution and logistics compliance for BASF USA.
   'Legitimate traders welcome and understand the need for enhanced supply chain security,' said Stuart Hanscomb, global customs and international trade manager for Europe, Mideast, and Africa for Nortel Networks in the United Kingdom. 'Individual countries should be encouraged to take a 'global view' as opposed to a 'unilateral' view.'