Driving compliance: A look at CargoWise's latest global customs features

You are operating in an increasingly complex legal and commercial environment while striving to maintain high productivity, commercial competitiveness, and a customer service focus.

As an individual and a representative of your organization, compliance isn’t merely an option – it’s the law. In fact, accidental or intentional breaches of key controls now regularly result in multi-million-dollar fines, penalties, and bans. These breaches have even led to actual or suspended jail time for offenders who knowingly or deliberately violate regulations.

As a product-led business, our focus and investment in product development and innovation are critical. In FY23, our R&D investment increased by 45% compared to FY22, reaching AU$261.9 million, resulting in 1,130 new enhancements to the CargoWise application suite.

We’ve been working hard to extend our single global customs system and it’s now available in all major English-speaking economies, the largest European economies, the largest Asian export markets, and the largest LATAM economy, Brazil. Additionally, work continues at pace on the rest of the world, executed by the single largest group of product and development professionals within WiseTech, which we continue to invest in and grow.

From enhancements to the shipper’s Declaration for Dangerous Goods, to increased flexibility handling Domestic Transshipment Requests with New Zealand Customs, and new RCG compliance reports for South Africa, here’s a round-up of some of the latest customs and compliance features added to CargoWise.

Improved packing instructions and transport details for Dangerous Goods – GLOBAL

We've enhanced the shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods (DGD) to provide a safer and more convenient shipping experience. Previously, the display of transport details and packing instructions in the DGD form didn't consider the quantity of dangerous goods being shipped, relying solely on the flight type of the linked consolidation. This sometimes led to inaccuracies in reflecting the shipment's content.

With recent changes, the transport details section now clearly indicates compliance with the restrictions for 'Passenger and Cargo Aircraft' or 'Cargo Aircraft Only,' regardless of the linked consolidation's flight type. This update ensures that the displayed information better matches the actual content of the shipment.

Additionally, in the DGD, the packing instruction number now aligns with the quantity of dangerous goods per package. If the packing instruction and permitted quantity per package are suitable for both passenger and cargo aircraft, as well as cargo aircraft only, there's no need to apply the 'cargo aircraft only' limitation.

These improvements make the DGD more user-friendly and align with the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, 64th edition, ensuring a smoother and safer shipping process.

Streamlined Domestic Transshipment Requests – NEW ZEALAND

We've simplified the process of requesting Domestic Transshipment Requests (DTR) with New Zealand Customs. You can now request DTRs at both the MAWB level within the Air Cargo ICR and at the container level within the Sea Cargo ICR.

A DTR is a digital request allowing you to move uncleared cargo from one approved facility to another. In the Air Cargo ICR/CRE module, a new 'Master DTR' tab facilitates the entry and viewing of MAWB level DTRs. In the Sea Cargo ICR/CRE module, a dedicated 'Container DTR' tab simplifies the creation and review of DTR requests at the container level.

A new 'Sending Agent' field on the 'Details' tab streamlines the process, required only for Container-level DTRs. If your ICR is linked to a Consolidation, the Sending Agent field will automatically populate from there.

New RCG compliance reports – SOUTH AFRICA

The South African Government oversees the Reporting for Conveyances and Goods (RCG) project, mandating the reporting of manifest details for all containerized cargo entering South Africa to the South African Revenue Service (SARS).

Specifically, under the RCG, carriers and Non-Vessel Operating Common Carriers (NVOCCs) are obligated to electronically submit details for all cargo on any vessel scheduled to sail for South Africa at least 24 hours prior to departure from the port of origin. Failure to meet this deadline results in cargo being prohibited from unloading without explicit permission from customs authorities.

To assist CargoWise users in meeting RCG cargo reporting obligations and reducing fines, we've launched three new compliance reports, specifically:

1. RCG Cargo Reporting Exceptions in Manifests: Identifies manifests that have not achieved CUSRES8 – PROCEED TO BORDER.
2. RCG Cargo Reporting Deviations in Manifests: Identifies manifests where House Bills are not cross-matched to any declarations within the same organization.
3. RCG Cargo Reporting Deviations in Declarations: Identifies declarations with House Bills not cross-matched to any manifests within the same organization.

New EU aviation security inspection types for simplified compliance – EU

We've added two inspection types for selection from an air shipment's inspection fields (both shipment level and packline level), to support EU Regulation 2015/8005 sections 6.2.3.b (applicable when shipping military goods) and 6.2.3.c (applicable for ad hoc routes carried for the account of a single sender).  

You can now select these new exemption types for EU-related shipments from the air shipment’s inspection field or the packline inspection field, provided your login company is in the EU, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, or Liechtenstein.

Please note, the European Commission decides various cargo types are exempt from screening or subject to special security procedures per Regulation 2015/8005 (this law is not published). Each member state may pass legislation defining the types of consignments that fall under the two exemption categories.