Container Shipping Line Select Supplier For European Customs Filings

EUROPE - As of January 1, 2011, the EU Customs Union Security Filing program is scheduled to go live in all 27 member states of the EU. The EU Customs Union Security Filing program was developed in an effort to address the security and automation of trade shipments for imports and exports in and out of the EU. The EU Customs Union is introducing these customs compliance regulations to standardize and automate its customs filings process. EU member states and the community have come together to form the electronic customs multiannual strategic plan (MASP). The goal of this plan is to provide the vision, objectives, strategic framework and milestones towards a paperless environment for customs and trade.

Quickly out of the blocks comes Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) which has appointed Descartes Systems Group, a federated global network logistics solutions provider, to help manage its container division’s European Union (EU) Import Control System (ICS) customs filings. With its Global Filer solution, architected to support the 27 EU and other countries around the world that require import security filings, Descartes is working together with leading customers, like MOL, to help its customers and partners be ready to comply with the new EU ICS requirements.

Jochen Veldmann, Executive Director Area of multi modal shippers MOL Europe BV is happy with the choice. He commented:

“MOL has sought and found a good partner with a solution designed to help us comply with the new EU regulations. It is important to us at MOL that we offer the best level of service to our customers and we are sure this relationship will help us continue to do this.”

Jonathan Wasserman, Senior Vice President, Global Trade Compliance Solutions at Descartes believes his company is in a unique position to assist companies like MOL due to the ability to resolve global customs filings with a single solution product. "MOL is leading the way in ensuring that it is prepared for the January 2011 EU ICS mandate.” he says “We are one of the select vendors working to support organizations with these emerging requirements globally and across different modes of transport.”

Descartes' Global Filer and Global Trade Compliance services are a part of Descartes' Global Logistics Network (GLN). The GLN provides multi-party collaborative services that allow customers to automate, exchange and manage shipment processes with their trading partners and regulatory agencies. Through the GLN, Descartes provides a comprehensive suite of services for international logistics operations including: air and ocean shipment bookings, contract management and automated freight audit, shipment status visibility and supplier performance reporting.