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IATA calls for stronger approach to dangerous goods across the supply chain

IATA has called for more to be done across the supply chain to tackle the risks from undeclared and misdeclared dangerous goods. The airline association today published a whitepaper in which it argued for a stronger and more collaborative multilayered approach to dangerous goods. The call comes amid discussions among regulators on the role of existing aviation security screening processes as a key line of defence. "IATA stresses that security screening is an important layer of protection, but not a primary solution," the association said. IATA global head of cargo Brendan Sullivan added: "Dangerous goods are transported safely by air every day. The risk comes when they enter the system undeclared or incorrectly declared. "Every part of the supply chain has a role to play in identifying and stopping such incidents as soon as possible. Security screening, which is primarily focused on terror threats, is one layer of protection against rogue shippers, but it is not a complete solution. "A comprehensive multi-layer approach beginning as far upstream the supply chain as possible is essential." IATA said that Dangerous Goods Regulations enable the safe passage or properly declared shipments. However, the issue often stems from hidden items. Figures from the airline association show that in the first half of 2025, some 80% of incidents reported to IATA that involved dangerous goods stemmed from undeclared or hidden dangerous goods. "Lithium batteries and other concealed hazardous commodities, such as undeclared e-Cigarettes and aerosols, were among the products most commonly identified," IATA said. IATA said that existing security controls, including cargo screening, may provide an additional opportunity to identify anomalies and intercept some unauthorised dangerous goods. However, screening should not be regarded as the sole or primary solution. Current cargo screening technologies, certification standards, algorithms and training programmes were primarily developed to detect weapons, explosives and other security threats. Therefore, in the white paper, IATA urged governments to strengthen oversight and enforcement of dangerous goods requirements; Manufacturers and online marketplaces to ensure dangerous goods are correctly identified; shippers, freight forwarders, and postal operators to strengthen training and acceptance controls and enhance the use of customer and shipment data; airlines and ground handlers to strengthen checks before cargo is loaded; and airports to improve coordination and information sharing across the cargo community.

Navigating airfreight volatility: rates, capacity & the ecommerce shake-up

Airfreight markets are facing constant disruption, from shifting ecommerce flows and changing rates to tight capacity and growing uncertainty across major trade lanes. Tristan Koch, chief commercial officer at Awery Aviation Software, joins host Charlotte Goldstone to discuss the latest China-Europe ecommerce trends, how airlines and forwarders are responding to volatile demand and why different booking platforms can show very different rates and capacity for the same flight. He also explains how Awery's new AI-powered data search and reporting functionality can help air cargo professionals make sense of an increasingly complex market.

India's exporters struggling with shortage of empty boxes at JNPA

Indian container trade stakeholders at JNPA (Nhava Sheva Port) are reporting a growing shortage of empty boxes for exports, as widespread vessel schedule disruption weighs on equipment shipping cycles. The shortage of empties is especially acute for French liner CMA CGM, according to market updates, but is affecting most carriers. Container depots in and around JNPA have told customers they are unable to offer pick-ups of empties for CMA CGM. Freight station service provider Seabird said: "Despite vehicles being sent to the yards and waiting in long queues, containers are still not being released due to the ongoing shortage. This situation is beyond our control and may result in delays or failure to complete the pick-up within the required timeline." According to sources, 40ft boxes are scarcer than other types of equipment. One source told The Loadstar: "We have had difficulty securing empty boxes for bookings with Hapag-Lloyd at several ICDs [inland container depots] in northern India." India is, historically, a deficit region for ocean containers, so repositioning and boxes imported from the Far East remain the major inventory replenishment sources for container lines. Industry, in large part, attributes the equipment crunch to two factors: equipment inventory cycles being hobbled by service reliability pressures; and stronger demand for Indian exports in recent months. Major Indian ports saw a stronger-than-anticipated rush of export shipments last month, particularly bookings to the US, for which 40ft boxes are mostly used. Indeed, JNPA enjoyed record container throughput in August - handling some 832,000 teu, up 12% month on month and 20% year on year, according to official data. Even more significantly, the port handled more export containers than imported boxes, a rare trade pattern at Indian gateways. India's overall goods export trade by value has expanded at a strong pace over the past two months, government data shows. "The 26.12% growth in August is a very encouraging performance, and yet again reflects the resilience, competitiveness, and adaptability of Indian exporters," said SC Ralhan, president of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations. "Equally significant is the broadening of India's export markets, which indicates that our exporters are increasingly leveraging new and emerging opportunities while strengthening their presence in traditional markets," he added. Meanwhile, other supply chain hurdles are testing the pace of cargo volumes moving in and out of Indian docks. Indian importers and customs brokers have voiced frustration over cargo data filing hiccups, due to glitches on the national electronic platform. Widespread system errors and manifest filing failures have been reported on the ICEGATE -- Indian Customs' integrated gateway portal, leaving importers and customs brokers struggling to clear goods and facing major penalty consequences. Indeed, the Brihanmumbai Custom Brokers' Association said: "Clearance of cargo covered by the affected manifests has come to a complete standstill."