Global Logistics Regulation: Time's Up!

The clock has been ticking for several years, and now shippers must acknowledge that the time for embracing regulatory standards has arrived. Who’s ready for the onslaught of regulatory change?

While “change” may be the operative word when it comes to regulatory compliance this year, shippers realize that “or else” is the unstated maxim. Industry analysts have been suggesting for years that by conforming early to government mandates, shippers may actually be gaining something beyond improved security—a sharpened competitive edge. Well, your friends at Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), and The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) certainly think so, as do many supply chain specialists who maintain that security equals efficiency.

At this moment, the much-maligned 10+2 rule is being fine tuned during its “interim period” for ocean shippers, and air shippers are trying to cope with 50 percent screening of inbound and outbound cargo.

To find out where things stand on the regulatory front - and where things may be going if there's enough resistance, please visit Logistics Management at http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/CA6635274.html

Basham to Step Down

Press sources are reporting that U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Ralph Basham will step down February 28. Deputy Commissioner Jay Ahern will serve as acting commissioner until a replacement is nominated and confirmed by the Senate. A Journal of Commerce article cited a Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman as saying DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano has been speaking with potential candidates.

This article can be found at WorldTrade/Interactive at http://www.strtrade.com/wti/wti.asp?pub=0&story=30279&date=2%2F13%2F2009&company=