New Security Measures for Import Air Cargo
The Australian Government has mandated temporary restrictions on all airlines operating to Australia, for certain items originating from 55 countries – mainly located in Europe – including at all transhipment locations. The new measures have caught shippers by surprise and are presenting challenges for freight forwarders.
From 26 September 2024, the rules now require that cargo being transported on passenger aircraft destined for Australia should only be tendered from shippers with whom the freight forwarder has an Established Business Relationship (EBR).
Under this measure, air cargo consignments originating in the listed countries, weighing over half a kilogram and lodged by an unknown sender, cannot be sent to or transferred in Australia on passenger aircraft.
Such cargo may be uplifted on freighter aircraft only, subject to additional security checks and inspections.
Qantas Freight, for example, has announced that the following shipments must not be accepted for uplift on their aircraft and are prohibited from entry into Australia:
- Cargo weighing more than 500g booked by an unknown shipper.
- Unless tendered by a Known Consignor, shipments that contain liquids, aerosols or gels and are packaged in the same consignment as battery-operated, electrical or electronic items, batteries, or analogue or electronic devices.
This new requirement follows similar actions taken by the USA and Canada, after reports surfaced of two packages containing incendiaries catching fire within European freight networks. The cargo contained electronic consumer devices and containers with liquids and were likely prepared with the intention to damage logistics infrastructure.
Industry representatives in the USA and Europe said the emergency measures will have a significant impact on shippers, particularly for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) with lower volume shipments.
The complexity and suddenness the new Air Cargo Advanced Screening requirements has caught shippers unprepared, and their implementation has proven more complex than anticipated. For freight forwarders, obtaining and sharing some of this additional information has presented practical challenges.
Safety is paramount and we will work with you and your shipper to implement the rules.
For more information about airlines and their operations, talk to Andrew at Colless Young, email enq@collessyoung.com.au Tel: +61 7 3890 0800.
As a licensed Customs Broker and International Freight Forwarder, Colless Young offers you correct, professional advice on your air cargo – as well as your seafreight. We are based in Brisbane and handle your logistics needs, both import and export, including quarantine treatments, warehousing and trucking – at all major Australian ports and airports.
The Special Security Direction was issued by the Department of Home Affairs and applies to a total of 55 countries (list below).
List of European countries
| – Albania – Andorra – Armenia – Austria – Azerbaijan – Belarus – Belgium – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Bulgaria – Croatia – Republic of Cyprus |
– Czech Republic – Denmark – Estonia – Finland – France – Georgia – Germany – Greece – Holy See – Hungary – Iceland |
– Ireland – Italy – Kazakhstan – Kosovo – Kyrgyzstan – Latvia – Liechtenstein – Lithuania – Luxembourg – Malta – Moldova |
– Monaco – Montenegro – Netherlands – North Macedonia – Norway – Poland – Portugal – Romania – Russia – San Marino – Serbia |
– Slovakia – Slovenia – Spain – Sweden – Switzerland – Tajikistan – Turkey – Turkmenistan – Ukraine – United Kingdom – Uzbekistan |
