Descartes partners on Japan advance filing regs

   The Ontario, Canada-based logistics software company Descartes Systems Group said last week it has signed an agreement with Nippon Automated Cargo and Port Consolidated System (NACCS Center) to electronically file documents to Japan Customs in compliance with the newly enacted Advance Filing Rules in that country.
   On March 30, a bill to amend part of Japan’s Customs Tariff Law was passed through the Diet legislature, enacting the Advance Filing Rules, which require a vessel operator or non-vessel operating common carrier (NVOCC) to electronically submit to Japan Customs the information on containerized cargo intended for a port in Japan. In principle, this submission should happen no later than 24 hours before departure of the vessel from a port of loading. The electronic report from foreign filers will be made through service providers authorized by the NACCS Center.
   “We’re pleased to announce that Descartes has agreed to be the first service provider in ensuring our customers’ compliance with the new Advance Filing Rules,” said Takuo Yoshimoto, president and chief executive officer of the NACCS Center, in a statement. “This is the first time we’ve signed an agreement with an overseas service provider since NACCS Center was founded in 1977. We can call it a big step forward for global activity. Descartes’ experience in advance manifest filing services in Canada, the United States and other countries has been of great assistance to us as we prepare for the Advance Filing Rules.”
   A focus of Descartes is its customs and regulatory compliance solutions, aimed at helping to keep goods moving across borders through the company’s Global Logistics Network (GLN), a multi-modal logistics messaging network. – Eric Johnson