Japan Customs integrated into CHAMP platform

Luxembourg-based CHAMP Cargosystems added Japan Customs to its Traxon Global Customs platform, which will enable carriers to submit advance cargo information (ACI) directly to the customs authority.

Through the platform, airlines and ground handlers can interface directly with Japan Customs and share data from a number of documents, including Master Air Waybills, House Manifests and Flight Manifests. Japan customs began requiring ACI data for inbound and transit shipments in March 2019, according to CHAMP. As of today, 15 carriers are using CHAMP to submit ACI data to Japan Customs.

With the addition of Japan, the Traxon platform now interfaces directly with 55 customs authorities worldwide, according to a statement from Nicholas Xenocostas, VP of Commercial & Customer Engagement at CHAMP Cargosystems.

Particularly as cross-border e-commerce flows continue to expand, direct communication between carriers, shippers and customs authorities has become increasingly important – both for Customs and for IT service providers like CHAMP. In Belgium, for example, a consortium of ports and airports are banking on “BE-Gate,” a digital initiative being rolled out by the country’s customs assessor, the Ministry of Finances, to streamline cross-border customs procedures ahead of planned regulatory changes.