U.S. CUSTOMS, NVOS MEET TO IMPROVE HANDLING OF EXPORT DATA

   U.S. Customs and non-vessel-operating common carriers have started
searching for a middle ground when it comes to processing export data. The action is the result of a story in the September issue of American Shipper.
   The agency met with about a dozen NVOs in Newark, N.J. last week to find ways to resolve the industry’s difficulty with filing timely and accurate export data with the agency.
   "We want a totally paperless export environment," said Peter J. Baish,
director of outbound programs for Customs. "Without the NVOs on board we would be 40 percent short of where we should be for transport data."
   Customs says it requires export transport data from the NVOs to know when their cargo is leaving the country. Ocean carriers provide this data in a Vessel Transportation Module in the Automated Export System. The agency believes that it is possible to develop a similar module in AES to accommodate the NVOs.
   The next meeting with the NVOs is expected by early January. Then
Customs, along with Census, plans to develop a smaller user requirements working group that will include executives from the various types of NVOs, such as neutral, trucking, forwarder and niche operators.