Freight rule worries exporters

By PAM GRAHAM

Exporters using airfreight are lobbying hard against a 12-hour US Customs rule due to be enforced in October.

"It will just destroy airfreight if the 12-hour provision is applied, because the decision on what freight goes on an aircraft is taken a couple of hours before takeoff," said Stewart Milne, executive director of the Board of Airline Representatives New Zealand.

"There are fish still swimming or flowers still growing 12 hours before an aeroplane leaves."

Airlines decide how much freight goes on an aircraft at the last minute, when they have the best passenger and baggage information. Milne does not expect US authorities to stop an aircraft leaving the country, but they could stop it landing.

"That's the sort of thing that is being talked about, but there is quite a lot of talking to do," he said.

"It is still being worked through and the New Zealand customs service and the Government are very much on to the concerns that the airlines have."