The FINANCIAL — EVA Air Cargo reached a new milestone in Taiwan’s airfreight supply chain by introducing the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) innovative, efficient and environmentally friendly e-freight system.
The new system streamlines and speeds up the shipping process, improves reliability and cuts costs by taking paper out of the supply chain. EVA began using it on its airfreight routes between Taipei, Kaohsiung, Hong Kong and Singapore on Nov. 3, 2009.
The e-freight system is one of IATA’s new Simplifying the Business projects. It’s an industry-wide initiative that eases the transport process for carriers, freight forwarders, ground handlers, shippers, customs brokers and customs authorities. It eliminates the need to send 16 printed trade, transportation and customs documents with every air cargo shipment by replacing paper with electronic messages.
Among numerous benefits, the e-freight system enables EVA to send shipment documentation to a destination before the cargo arrives, saving as much as 24 hours of processing time. It saves customers hands-on time by automatically populating documents with information repeatedly required, improving accuracy and consistency and reducing delays. It also gives everyone in the supply chain the opportunity to track shipments and get real-time status updates.
EVA will expand its use of the system to more of its airfreight stations worldwide as they become e-freight ready and can process consignments electronically. The carrier has spent the past several months preparing for its initiation of e-freight by working closely with customs authorities, the Association of Airfreight Forwarding & Logistics, freight forwarders, including Mantraco, DB Schenker, Hecny, NNR and Dimerco, four air cargo terminals and Trade-Van etc. EVA passed IATA’s e-freight Wet Run test in October 2009.
IATA’s target is to implement e-freight in 44 countries by the end of 2010, representing more than 80 percent of global airfreight volume. These countries all have the appropriate international treaties and high-level customs framework in place to enable EVA and air cargo carriers who follow its lead to effectively use e-freight.
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