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Kewill (LSE: KWL), a leading provider of solutions that simplify global trade and logistics, today announced it is live with the Import Control System (ICS) in both France and the Czech Republic, is exchanging real-time data on behalf of its customers with local Customs authorities, and is ready to do the same for the UK and Poland. This follows its January announcement that ICS connectivity for Germany and Austria had been successfully achieved and operationally deployed.
The company continues to leverage its extensive Customs experience and network of European partners in order to meet the individual ICS requirements of each local Customs authority, and is working quickly towards achieving connectivity for all remaining European countries through its suite of electronic Customs software solutions; CustomsXchange, Zabis and Air Cargo Pool.
ICS is a mandatory electronic Customs procedure, designed to improve security by providing advance visibility of shipments into Europe. It replaces an existing paper-based process and requires detailed information on goods to be submitted electronically, prior to arrival within the European Community, in order to facilitate near real-time risk analysis by local Customs authorities.
Pan-European ICS connectivity will significantly reduce the burden of managing this complex process for Kewill’s customers, who include a number of high-profile global air cargo providers handling thousands of shipments made across the Community each day, and for whom ICS compliance is both crucial and time-critical.
Jacquie Boast, Chief Operating Officer for EMEA at Kewill, commented "We are thrilled to be able to report this significant further progress in our ICS roll-out programme across Europe, with the addition of France, Czech Republic and shortly the UK and Poland to our roster of live countries. ICS has presented a major challenge for all involved, with each individual country having issued separate specifications. Kewill’s own Customs domain experts and existing network of local software solutions place us in an ideal position to streamline this complicated compliance scenario for global logistics providers."
