EU red tag hikes cargo cost from Bangladesh

Air freight costs for shipments from Bangladesh to EU nations have gone up after the country was put in a list of “high-risk countries” under new security regulations. According to forwarders, the red-category tag, effective from June 1, could also mean less freighter capacity entering the EU countries as well as delayed transit time of two to three days due to additional screening of shipments. The International Airlines Group (IAG) Cargo has already issued a notice to customers, adding a USD 0.10 security charge per kg. It means that the cost of cargo originating from Bangladesh would increase by Tk. 9 per kg.
Incidentally, neither the civil aviation ministry nor the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has received an official intimation from the EU or IAG in this regard.
CAAB sources said the EU had only informed the head offices of the airlines which carry cargo from Bangladesh to EU countries that shipments would go through an extra screening process. Subsequently, the head offices of the airlines informed their Bangladesh offices of the new EU impositions.
Officials from several airlines then informed the CAAB of the development, the sources added.
Following this, CAAB chairman Air vice-marshal Ehsanul Gani Chowdhury yesterday met the EU ambassador to Bangladesh, Pierre Mayaudon, for a clarification. Sources present at the meeting told The Independent that the EU ambassador informed the CAAB chairman about the inclusion of Bangladesh and Kuwait, along with 11 other countries, in the list of high-risk countries by the EU. The other countries in the list are Djibouti, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Mauritania, Pakistan, Lebanon, Libya, Iraq, Mali, Nigeria and Sudan.
According to the sources, the CAAB chairman was informed that cargo from Bangladesh now has to pass through X-ray screening with a dual view monitor. After that, it has to be screened by an explosive detection dog (EDD) or explosive detection system (EDS) at the point of origin or the last point of departure before entering an EU country. Hazrat Shahjalal Internationl Airport director Group Captain Kazi Iqbal Karim told The Independent that the airport has an X-ray machine with a dual view monitor and EDS. “We have also taken an initiative to bring two EDS machines by the first week of August,” he added.
Before August, however, air freight from Bangladesh have to bear the additional cost of getting EDD screened in a third country, namely at the country where the hub of the airlines is located. When contacted by The Independent, the EU office in Dhaka refused to comment on why Bangladesh was put in the list of high-risk countries.
Terming the EU action as unfortunate, civil aviation minister Rashed Khan Menon said, “Being included in the red category by the EU means not only air cargo, but also shipping cargo has to go through extra screening process.”
The new EU imposition, however, will not have any effect on shipping cargo because all such shipments from Bangladesh to the EU transit through a third port, where additional screening is carried out.
A freight forwarder said their capacity will reduce due to re-screening at transit points and the re-screening charges will be added to freight, resulting in long transit delays for shipments moving to the EU.
Airlines may also pull down some freighter capacity as the infrastructure may not be able cope with the additional air freight security processes, the forwarder said, adding that the new regulations would also lead to delay in transit time by two to three days.

 

EU red tag hikes cargo cost from Bangladesh

Air freight costs for shipments from Bangladesh to EU nations have gone up after the country was put in a list of high-risk countries under new security regulations. According to forwarders, the red-category tag, effective from June 1, could also mean less freighter capacity entering the EU countries as well as delayed transit time of two to three days due to additional screening of shipments. The International Airlines Group (IAG) Cargo has already issued a notice to customers, adding a USD 0.10 security charge per kg. It means that the cost of cargo originating from Bangladesh would increase by Tk. 9 per kg. Incidentally, neither the civil aviation ministry nor the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has received an official intimation from the EU or IAG in this regard. CAAB sources said the EU had only informed the head offices of the airlines which carry cargo from Bangladesh to EU countries that shipments would go through an extra screening process. Subsequently, the head offices of the airlines informed their Bangladesh offices of the new EU impositions. Officials from several airlines then informed the CAAB of the development, the sources added. Following this, CAAB chairman Air vice-marshal Ehsanul Gani Chowdhury yesterday met the EU ambassador to Bangladesh, Pierre Mayaudon, for a clarification. Sources present at the meeting told The Independent that the EU ambassador informed the CAAB chairman about the inclusion of Bangladesh and Kuwait, along with 11 other countries, in the list of high-risk countries by the EU. The other countries in the list are Djibouti, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Mauritania, Pakistan, Lebanon, Libya, Iraq, Mali, Nigeria and Sudan. According to the sources, the CAAB chairman was informed that cargo from Bangladesh now has to pass through X-ray screening with a dual view monitor. After that, it has to be screened by an explosive detection dog (EDD) or explosive detection system (EDS) at the point of origin or the last point of departure before entering an EU country. Hazrat Shahjalal Internationl Airport director Group Captain Kazi Iqbal Karim told The Independent that the airport has an X-ray machine with a dual view monitor and EDS. We have also taken an initiative to bring two EDS machines by the first week of August, he added. Before August, however, air freight from Bangladesh have to bear the additional cost of getting EDD screened in a third country, namely at the country where the hub of the airlines is located. When contacted by The Independent, the EU office in Dhaka refused to comment on why Bangladesh was put in the list of high-risk countries. Terming the EU action as unfortunate, civil aviation minister Rashed Khan Menon said, Being included in the red category by the EU means not only air cargo, but also shipping cargo has to go through extra screening process. The new EU imposition, however, will not have any effect on shipping cargo because all such shipments from Bangladesh to the EU transit through a third port, where additional screening is carried out. A freight forwarder said their capacity will reduce due to re-screening at transit points and the re-screening charges will be added to freight, resulting in long transit delays for shipments moving to the EU. Airlines may also pull down some freighter capacity as the infrastructure may not be able cope with the additional air freight security processes, the forwarder said, adding that the new regulations would also lead to delay in transit time by two to three days.