European Shippers' Council blasts “10+2” as "bureaucratic burden"

European Shippers' Council blasts “10+2” as "bureaucratic burden"

   The European Shippers' Council will ask the European Commission to call on the United States not to apply the “10+2” advance trade data initiative to the European Union, calling the proposal another "bureaucratic burden for European companies trading with the U.S."
   The much-anticipated 10+2 notice of proposed rulemaking will require 10 sets of data from importers or their agents 24 hours prior to vessel departure and two sets of data from ocean carriers. U.S. Customs and Border Protection within DHS wants the information to enhance targeting of inbound containers for inspections as a means of protecting against terrorist smuggling of mass destruction weapons.
   Nicolette van der Jagt, secretary general of the ESC, would rather see the mutual recognition concept applied to new programs such as the Authorized Economic Operator scheme, which will become operational from July 1, 2009.
   "We welcome the fact that the European Commission has already expressed concern that the 10+2 rule does not respect the SAFE Framework established by the World Customs Organization since is goes far beyond what is recommended by the WCO," van der Jagt said.
   "Apart from this we are not sure whether European exporters are willing to exchange commercially very sensitive information with their trading partners."