June 2020 – ATO Shipping Newsletter
This article outlines the updates at ATOP shipping for June 2020
Meet The Team
This month’s profiles feature Donna Harford, our in-house customs manager and Cassandra Long, our Business Development Executive!
Containers Overboard
APL Container Loss – In rough weather, early in the morning of 24 May, about 50 containers were lost overboard from the Singapore-flagged container ship APL England. Contact your marine insurance company if you have been affected with a container loss.
Scammer Alert
Border Watch has seen an increase in scammers targeting industry members, using sophisticated methods to defraud customs brokers, freight forwarders, warehouses and depots, shipping and transport companies. Please read on to view more on this.
Stinky Bugs
The Department of Agriculture provides feedback on the BMSB Season Review 2019/20 and measures for 2020/21 risk season. Measures apply to goods shipped from 1 September 2020 and arriving in Australian territory by 31 May 2021.
Delays of Medical Goods In Chinese Airports
We include an article showcasing the backlog of cargo in PVG Shanghai airport due to the huge volumes of PPE goods moving out of China currently.
Keep your supply chain moving, we are here 24/7, 365 to keep your business global! Visit us on social media or our website https://atoshipping.com.
All the best
The team at Across the Ocean Shipping.
Here at Across the Ocean Shipping we have an awesome team!
It takes Management, Sales, Customs Brokerage, Operations, Accounts and Admin to ensure the best quality of service is provided to all our clients and shipments are looked after from quote to delivery.
Our team brings a wealth of knowledge and experience and in this newsletter we are introducing you to two of our valued team members in the Melbourne Office – make sure you check out future newsletters for more intros to our amazing team!
Who?!
Cassandra Long
Role at Across the Ocean Shipping:
Business Development Executive
What do they do?!
Cassandra started off in the wonderful world of freight forwarding at the young age of 18 in an Operations role, gaining valuable experience in all aspects of importing, exporting and transportation. Before specialising in Business Development roles, Cassandra was part of the start team with Menzies as a Container Terminal Operator. With a sound knowledge base of Operations, Cassandra uses this to offer our clients a comprehensive quote with solutions to potential hurdles when shipping goods. After living overseas in the USA, Cassandra is now back in Melbourne building business for Across the Ocean Shipping, fulfilling big goals of increasing large accounts and securing regular ongoing business.
That’s the serious stuff but what about the fun stuff?!
Alongside Cassandra’s positive chatty personality in and around the office, she recently let it be known a few talents…. Cassandra Ice Skated to a competitive level as a youngster and can play the clarinet and piano!
Who?!
Donna Harford
Role at Across the Ocean Shipping:
Customs Brokerage Manager
What do they do?!
Aside from writing all the informative newsletter articles and providing updates on everything you need to know in Freight Forwarding, Donna actually does other important jobs here too! Donna is Across the Ocean Shipping’s licensed Customs Broker and is your “go to” for customs clearances. Consulting on duties and tariffs and with regulatory bodies in ABF and DAWE – Donna loves to advise and solve your quarantine issues and can be found liaising with clients, assessing commercial documents and assisting the team whenever called upon.
That’s the serious stuff but what about the fun stuff?!
You know Donna is in the office even if you can’t see her because of 3 things…. You can hear her singing along to EVERY song playing, you hear the coffee machine firing into action, or you can hear her laugh!! We’re looking forward to a Team Event of Ten Pin Bowling or Indoor Cricket – both of which Donna has sporting awards in; this fun loving lady has 3 tattoos, enjoys jet skiing and at the weekends will be enjoying her treasured role of being a Mum and drinking a lot of champagne!
APL England container loss
In rough weather, early in the morning of 24 May, about 50 containers were lost overboard from the Singapore-flagged container ship APL England.
The Master of the APL England appeared before the Wynnum Magistrates court today to face two charges relating to the loss of containers from the ship.
Please click on the link below to read all about it.
https://www.amsa.gov.au/news-community/campaigns/apl-england-container-loss
Scammers target Customs Brokers and Forwarders
Border Watch is the Department of Home Affairs program that receives information about suspicious activities.
Recently, Border Watch has received several reports from industry members about scammers using sophisticated methods to defraud customs brokers, freight forwarders, warehouses and depots, shipping and transport companies.
For more information, click here:
https://newsroom.abf.gov.au/releases/scam-alert
BMSB Season Review (Stinky Bugs)
BMSB season measures 2020/21
The season measures for 2020/21 will remain the same with exception to including Portugal, Moldova, Ukraine on the target risk countries list. The impact is expected to be minimal due to the low volume of cargo imported from these countries.
• Measures apply to goods shipped from 1 September 2020 and arriving in Australian territory by 31 May 2021.
Please read more from the 2019/20 Season review and the new measures at the link below.
https://www.cbfca.com.au//CBFCA/Membership-Folder/Member_news/WIN_2020/BMSB_Season_Review.aspx
Below is a link on an interesting article last month highlighting the crippling delays of freight coming out of Shanghai’s Pudong Airport.
Who would have imagined that a Deluge of Medical Cargo would gridlock a major freight airport terminal, as the freight is subjected to higher export quality controls and inspections.
As the world as we know it changes, new and challenging hurdles will appear where previously fast tracked options were the norm.
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/deluge-of-medical-cargo-cripples-shanghai-pudong-airport
We hope the information contained in our monthly Newsletter keeps you informed of the latest news and affairs.
Please do not hesitate to contact our offices if you have any queries.
If you have any Customs or Quarantine specific matters, Donna will be happy to assist – her details as below.
Thank you
Donna Harford
Customs Brokerage Manager
Mobile: + 61 420 273 537
Tel: + 61 3 9427 0015
Email: donna@atoshipping.com
Food security and agriculture and COVID-19
Our agricultural sectors play an important role in Australia’s food security. Feeding our nation is an essential service. We’re making sure there’s food on the table for all Australians.
Products will continue to be delivered to supermarkets. Do not hoard food. Stay calm and know Australian agriculture will be there for you.
Please read more at the following link:
https://www.agriculture.gov.au/coronavirus/food-agriculture
NICNAS | Stakeholder Update – April 2020
The Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) will replace NICNAS on 1 July 2020 as the new national regulator of the importation and manufacture of industrial chemicals in Australia.
Anyone who imports or manufactures (introduce) industrial chemicals — or products that release industrial chemicals — into Australia for commercial purposes must:
• register their business with AICIS and pay a fee
• categorise each chemical importation or manufacture (introduction) into 1 of 5 categories
Refer to below link to NICNAS Stakeholder Update – April 2020 for latest updates on the Australian regulation of industrial chemicals manufacture and importation, which may be of interest to you and any clients that import industrial chemicals.
Support for businesses impacted by Coronavirus
On 1 April, the Australian Government announced measures to help secure freight access for
- Australian agriculture and fisheries exporters
.
The new $110 million
- International Freight Assistance Mechanism
(IFAM) will assist Australia’s agricultural and fisheries sector by helping them export their high-quality produce into key overseas markets, with return flights bringing back vital medical supplies, medicines and equipment.
Exporters wishing to access the mechanism can
- register their interest
or call the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment on (02) 6272 2444.
On 1 April, the Government also announced increased
- funding for the Export Market Development Grant
(EMDG). Funding for the scheme will increase by $49.8 million in the 2019-20 financial year, allowing exporters and tourism businesses to get additional reimbursements for costs incurred in marketing their products and services around the world.
This supplements the additional $60 million already committed by the Government, and brings EMDG funding to its highest level in more than 20 years at $207.7 million for the 2019-20 financial year.
For details about the full range of programs the Australian Government has launched in support for Australian businesses go to business.gov.au
The Australian Transport and Infrastructure Council has also confirmed the high-priority it places on the freight and logistics sector.
The Ministers have requested Freight Victoria to continue maintaining communications with industry on actions to combat the COVID-19 outbreak and to provide an avenue to raise any issues of concern.
Imports and Exports
Click on the following link for all the latest updates from the Department of Home Affairs – ABF (Australian Border Force) with regard to Imports and Exports:
https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/imports-and-exports
There’s a lot of serious stuff going on around the world, and if you are like us you will be fed up of all the negative news at the moment. – The current global situation with COVID is certainly uncharted waters in our day and age. Working from home (WFH) has become the new “hipster” way of working. Certain industries have offered the WFH option previously but ‘hashtag’ social distancing…what does that even mean?!
I’m sure we’ve all had occasions where we have happily socially distanced ourselves from people and situations that we don’t want to be in, but being locked down for weeks on-end and not being in the workplace environment is quite frankly weird for a lot of us!
Across the Ocean Shipping has never been shy to celebrate staff birthdays (any excuse for cake) or rejoice purely in the fact it’s Friday. This has not changed during these times; except for the addition of hand sanitiser everywhere and #socialdistancing !!
This month it was our long standing all-rounder Ben Jackson’s birthday. So what did we do…??? We all secretly turned up to the Melbourne office dressed as Ben! Messy hair, Flannel shirts, jeans rolled up and a cigarette roll up hanging outside the side of our mouths. Even WFH did not stop the fun with staff dressing up at home to celebrate Ben’s birthday.
Fun Friday this month was Pyjama Day, a great opportunity to dig out the Aussie Ugg boots and dodgy nightwear. The team couldn’t resist personalising their face masks and posing for social distanced photos!
We hope you enjoy the photos and at the very least it brings a smile to your faces.
Stay safe everyone!
We hope the information contained in our monthly Newsletter keeps you informed of the latest news and affairs.
Please do not hesitate to contact our offices if you have any queries.
If you have any Customs or Quarantine specific matters, Donna will be happy to assist – her details as below.
Thank you
Donna Harford
Customs Brokerage Manager
Mobile: + 61 420 273 537
Tel: + 61 3 9427 0015
Email: donna@atoshipping.com
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