What are the new security requirements?

In compliance with new security mandates from the United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Transport Canada, and the Australian Department of Home Affairs (DHA), freight forwarders are required to ensure cargo shipments meet stricter guidelines when originating from specific countries and destined for the United States (US), Canada (CA), or Australia (AU).

Below you will find the requirements to comply with the above.

Key Compliance Points

What Freight Forwarders Need to Do

Airline-specific requirements

Airlines requiring a CSD statement

Consequences of non-compliance

Countries and Origins affected

Useful external links about the new regulations

Key Compliance Points

Effective immediately, cargo from the below-listed countries must not be accepted unless the shipper has an established business relationship with either the airline, the freight forwarder, a Known Agent, or a Known Consignor.

Shipper Eligibility: Cargo can only be accepted if the shipper has a verified business relationship with the airline, freight forwarder, or Known Agent, or is recognized as a Known Consignor.
Business Relationship Proof: A formal Established Business Relationship Statement must be submitted to demonstrate this relationship.
Non-compliance: Shipments without this documentation will be ineligible for transportation and will not be accepted by airlines.

What Freight Forwarders Need to Do

Verify Relationships: Ensure that all shippers have a valid business relationship with you, the airline, or a Known Agent. This includes confirming if the shipper is registered as a Known Consignor.
Use the Standardized Form: Use the standardized "Established Business Relationship Statement" - also called EBR statement - to officially document the business relationship with each shipper.
Document Submission: Submit the completed form along with each shipment to ensure compliance with the new regulations.

You can find this document ready to be downloaded at the very end of this article

Airline-specific requirements

Different airlines may have additional or more specific requirements to comply with these regulations. We recommend checking each airline's guidelines to ensure that all documentation and procedures are properly followed for each shipment. Please refer to the additional information provided below.

AFKLM Cargo

The United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has issued requirements for cargo shipments on passenger carriers travelling to or through the United States of America and originating in one of the countries designated by the TSA.
These requirements mandate that cargo shall only be tendered from shippers with whom the forwarder has an Established Business Relationship (EBR).
To comply with this requirement, effective 23 September 2024, Air France KLM Martinair Cargo forwarding partners must confirm they have verified that all shipments are from shippers that meet the new EBR criteria by providing the signed IATA standard EBR statement.

For any questions about the EBR process, please check our website around Safety & Security.

Air Canada Cargo

To ensure your shipment moves as booked, please ensure to comply with the following requirements outlined as follows:

Reminder: Requirements for cargo transiting/destined to Canada

Effective immediately, cargo originating from selected countries and transiting/destined to Canada must not be accepted from shippers without an established business relationship with their forwarder/agent, or Air Canada, or is a Known Consignor. 

Established business relationship: An active account in existence before August 29, 2024, with physical and billing addresses and payment or credit history documented through invoices, billing records or documented sales.
 

Required statements for Canada-destined or transiting cargo 

MAWB or e-AWB: Shipments tendered to Air Canada on behalf of a freight forwarder or Known Agent must have the below messages added to either the MAWB, the OSI line of the e-AWB, or as an attached letter: 
“All shipments contained in this shipment have originated from shippers who have an established business relationship with [agent/forwarder]". 
Interline shipments: Notation must be added to the transfer manifest: 
“All shipments contained in this transfer have originated from shippers that have an established business relationship with [their forwarder or agent]".

Exceptions:
Live animals must be tendered via a Forwarder or an Agent. The forwarder or agent must have an established business relationship with Air Canada Cargo before August 29, 2024. However, an established business relationship is no longer required between the shipper of live animals and the Forwarder or Agent. In this case, a letter or statement on the MAWB is not required.

Reminder: Requirements for cargo transiting/destined to the U.S.

Effective immediately, cargo originating from selected countries destined to or transiting through the United States must not be accepted from shippers without an established business relationship with their forwarder/agent, or Air Canada, or if the shipper is not a Known Consignor.   

Established business relationship definition for U.S.-destined or transiting cargo:  
An active account in existence since September 2, 2024, with physical and billing addresses and payment or credit history documented through invoices, billing records, or documented sales. 

Required statements for U.S.-destined or transiting cargo MAWB or OSI line

Shipments tendered by a Regulated Agent must contain the following attestation, or as an attached letter:

"All shipments contained in this shipment have originated from shippers that have an established business relationship with [their forwarder or agent]” .
Interline shipments must contain the following on the transfer manifest:
"All shipments contained in this transfer have originated from shippers that have an established business relationship with [their forwarder or agent]”.

Update: New process to establish a business relationship with new customers (applicable for Canada and the U.S.)

A shipper and forwarder/agent, or a shipper and an air carrier, may establish a business relationship with shippers who became customers after August 29 (Canada) or September 2 (U.S.) if the following criteria are met, between their forwarder/agent or between the shipper the air carrier.

The forwarder/agent or the air carrier must have all the following:  

Copy of the shipper’s business or corporation registration certificate, license, or record;
The shipper’s business or corporation information, including name, address, telephone number and email address;
Contact information, including name and position, of the shipper’s authorized point of contact;
The shipper’s payment information, such as a corporate credit card number;
A signed contract relating to shipping between the shipper and their forwarder/ Agent, or between the shipper and the Air Carrier.

Forwarders must submit their confirmation using the Freight Forwarder Declaration, along with their shipping documents at the time of acceptance.

New: Requirements for shipments transiting/destined to Australia

Effective immediately, cargo originating from selected countries and transiting/destined to Australia must not be accepted from shippers without an established business relationship with their forwarder/agent, or Air Canada, or is a Known Consignor.   

Parcel mail (mail weighing more than 500g) originating from the countries listed, will not be accepted for transport.

Established business relationship: An active account, established prior to September 29, 2024, with physical and billing addresses and payment or credit history documented through invoices, billing records or documented sales; or a documented history of sales that may include any contacts or activities; or other documented correspondence or business records.

Required statements for Australia-destined or transiting cargo

MAWB or e-AWB: Shipments tendered by a forwarder/agent must contain the following statement:
“All shipments contained in this shipment have originated from shippers that have an established business relationship with [their forwarder or agent]”.
Interline shipments: notation must be added to the transfer manifest:
“All shipments contained in this transfer have originated from shippers that have an established business relationship with [their forwarder or agent]”.

Exceptions:

Cargo items weighing less than 500g

Here you can download the Declaration letter template

Please contact your local sales representative for more information.

American Airlines Cargo

Please refer to the American Airlines Cargo website for mandatory requirements for shipments going to or transiting through the United States originating in one of the countries designated by the U.S. Government.

ANA Cargo

For all shipments going to Australia, it is mandatory to provide a filled-out EBR (Established Business Relationship) declaration for each MAWB together with cargo upon delivery.
Cargo tendered to All Nippon Airways without the required EBR declaration will not be uplifted, following the new regulations by the Australian Government.

Avianca Cargo

Please refer to the Avianca Cargo information sheet for mandatory requirements for shipments going to or transiting through the United States from Europe.

Cargolux

Customers must provide a filled-out EBR (Established Business Relationship) statement for each MAWB for all shipments going to or transiting through the USA/Canada and originating in one of the designated countries.
The EBR statement is to be provided in PDF format via email to the local Cargolux sales station at the latest 12 hours before tendering the cargo to the local Cargolux GHA facility or the planned pick-up.
Non-compliance with this requirement will jeopardize the uplift of your shipment on the booked flight.
Customers must provide a full and accurate description of the shipment.
Please refer to the US CBP Examples of Unacceptable vs Acceptable Cargo Descriptions.
In case of consolidation, please ensure that the commodities' description on the HAWB level complies with the US CBP instructions above. Non-compliance with these instructions will result in your cargo being blocked.

Condor

For all shipments going to or transiting through the United States/Canada, freight forwarders must ensure that shippers have had an ongoing business relationship with them since at least May 2024, with a minimum of six shipments.
Additionally, shippers must provide documentation of a physical and billing address, along with payment or credit history, including contracts or business records.
All shipments must include a signed declaration on company letterhead. Freight cannot be accepted without this completed declaration.

Etihad Cargo

The Australian Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has mandated additional measures for cargo shipments on flights travelling to or through Australia which originate from certain European and Central Asian countries. These requirements mandate that cargo may only be tendered from shippers with whom the freight forwarder has an Established Business Relationship (EBR).
Etihad Cargo requires all freight forwarders to confirm that they have an EBR with the shipper for each MAWB. For more information on the EBR requirements, please click here.
Please complete the Etihad Established Business Relationship Declaration (EBR) and submit the document via Email to your local Etihad Sales team as soon as possible to complete your booking.

Finnair Cargo

Finnair Cargo Oy mandates that freight forwarding partners ensure all consolidations and shipments include cargo only from shippers with whom the forwarder has an established business relationship, applicable to each item in the shipment.
EBRS statement for such shipments is needed to validate the relationship. Shipments or pieces that do not meet these criteria must be removed, as they cannot be tendered to Finnair Cargo for transport destined for or transiting through the United States.
For more details, please contact your local sales office.

IAG Cargo

New requirements have been issued for cargo shipments on passenger carriers travelling to or through Australia, Canada and the United States and originating in one of these countries designated by these Governments. These requirements mandate that cargo may only be tendered from shippers with whom the forwarder has an Established Business Relationship (EBR).
To comply with this requirement, from 26 September 2024, IAG Cargo forwarding partners must confirm they have verified that all shipments are from shippers that meet the new EBR criteria as detailed below.
Please review the below information carefully and provide the required confirmation from 26 September 2024, to avoid disruption to your shipments.

With each Master Air Waybill (MAWB), the forwarder must confirm that it has verified that all shippers associated with the MAWB meet at least one of the following EBR criteria:

The shipper is a Known Consignor under the security programme of a national authority
The shipper has an account with the forwarder that was established before 2 September 2024, and contains at least one of the following:
a. The shipper's shipping and billing address and documented payment or credit history
b. Documented sales history, including any relevant contacts or activities
c. Other documented business correspondence or records
For shippers who became customers after 2 September 2024, the forwarder must have records of the following information:
1. A business or corporate registration certificate, license or record
2. Business or corporate information, including name, address, phone and email
3. Contact information for an authorised point of contact for the account
4. Payment information (e.g., a corporate credit card)
5. A signed contract between the shipper and the forwarder

To meet this requirement, forwarders must submit their confirmation using the Freight Forwarder Declaration with the shipping documents at the time of acceptance. A copy of the declaration form can be found here and a supporting list of countries can be seen here.

From 26 September 2024, shipments tendered to IAG Cargo without the required EBR confirmation will be refused transport, following these new Government regulations.
If you have any questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to contact your local sales representative.

ITA Airways Cargo

Please refer to the ITA Airways Cargo website for mandatory requirements to shipments going to or transiting through the United States/Canada.
EBR (Established Business Relationship) declaration form for the United States is available here.

Lufthansa Cargo

Forwarders must determine an established business relationship for all shippers. Please ensure that shipments (direct or consolidated) tendered to Lufthansa Cargo for transport are validated with shippers with whom the forwarder has maintained an established business relationship as defined in this attestation (refer to the below requirements for those shipments not validated meeting these requirements).

This established business relationship requirement applies to every piece in a consolidated shipment. Lufthansa will be unable to accept any air waybill amendments to the US and Canada for any changes to the consignee or goods description after RCS (goods acceptance).

Requirements when tendering shipments to Lufthansa Cargo:

For shipments tendered to Lufthansa Cargo that do meet the established business relationship requirements, an attestation must accompany the shipment (EBR Fulfillment Statement attached). All shipments within the consolidation (HAWB) must meet this requirement. The attestation must be provided at the time of goods acceptance. A later submission of the statement will not be accepted.
For shipments tendered to Lufthansa Cargo that do not meet the established business relationship requirements (where an attestation will not be provided), additional security measures may apply:
- You will be contacted by Lufthansa's local sales office and requested to sign a waiver of liability, and you will be informed of the new booking details. Please be aware that these shipments may experience delays, which we will actively work to resolve.
- Tender on a separate master air waybill if they are destined for or transiting through the United States or Canada.

Qatar Airways Cargo

With immediate effect, Qatar will require all customers and business partners to provide documentation to prove that cargo originating from Europe, United Kingdom, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) / Central Asia, destined for the US, CA and AU, was accepted from either of the following:
- A known consignor (approved as KC by local state authority), via their regulated agent.
- An agent/freight forwarder who has a confirmed “established business relationship” (EBR) with the shipper.

The “Established Business Relationship Statement” available at this link should be used to declare the existence of an established business relationship – this form must be signed by an authorised individual at your company and presented with all other required documents at the time of shipment tender. This form must be tendered along with each shipment to Qatar Airways.
Qatar will ensure compliance with these new regulations including direct communication with the respective regulators, and is prepared to handle business safely, securely and effectively for customers and partners. Please highlight the importance of compliance with these new requirements with your teams.
For further clarification or assistance, you can reach our team at cargosecurity@qatarairways.com.qa

Singapore Airlines Cargo

For all shipments going to Australia, it is mandatory to provide a filled-out EBR (Established Business Relationship) declaration for each MAWB.
Cargo tendered to Singapore Airlines without the required EBR declaration will not be uplifted, following the new regulations by the Australian Government.

Swiss WorldCargo

For all shipments going to or transiting through the United States/Canada, it is mandatory to provide a filled-out EBR (Established Business Relationship) declaration for each MAWB.
Cargo tendered to Swiss WorldCargo without the required EBR declaration will not be uplifted.
For additional information on the new security measures in the USA and Canada kindly refer to these Swiss FAQs.

TAP

Per the latest requirements of the Canadian (BBSA) and American (TSA) authorities, and with immediate effect, all AWBs not originating from the countries listed in APPENDIX and destined for Canada/USA, or transiting through these countries, must only be accepted for transport if the originating shipper of the cargo on the AWB has an established business relationship (EBR) with the issuing agent.
For each MAWB, the freight forwarder must confirm that they verified that all associated shippers (HAWB for consolidations) comply with at least one of the following EBR criteria :
- A business relationship established before September 2nd, verifiable through invoices, payments, or other business records;
- Any new customer account that has been accepted and registered by the forwarding agent after September 2nd that includes the following documentation:
  - A business or corporate registration certificate, license, or record;
  - Business or corporate information, including name, address, phone number, and email address;
  - Contact information, including name and position, of the person responsible for the shipment;;
  - Payment information, such as a corporate credit card number; AND
  - A signed contract between the exporter (originating shipper) and the forwarding agent; OR
  - Know Consignor
This established business relationship with the issuing agent must be confirmed by completing the EBR Statement form (one form for each MAWB) and presenting it when the cargo is accepted (in the case of eAWBs, this document must be handed in on paper) to the GHA (Ground Handling Agent) for archiving in the flight process.
AWBs delivered to TAP Air Cargo without the required EBR declaration will be refused for carriage following these new regulations.
TAP is available to offer the necessary support to ensure compliance with the new requirements by contacting tapcargosop@tap.pt.

WestJet Cargo

For every shipment going to or transiting through Canada and/or the United States on passenger flights, it is mandatory to provide a filled-out EBR (Established Business Relationship) declaration for each MAWB and send it to westjet.fr@ecsgroup.aero.
Cargo tendered to WestJet without the required EBR declaration will not be uplifted.

Airlines requiring a CSD statement

In addition to the business relationship documentation, please note that some airlines may also require a CSD (Consignment Security Declaration) for all US-bound shipments. Alternatively, they may request that the statement be included in the FWB (Freight Waybill) or MAWB (Master Air Waybill).

Example of CSD statement:

"{Name of Entity} has reviewed all available documentation and has determined that none of the cargo being offered in this consignment or consolidation either originated in, transferred from, or transited through any point in Egypt, Syria, Somalia, or Yemen."

Ensure that this statement is included when required to avoid any delays or issues with shipment acceptance.

Please find the list of airlines that require a CSD statement below.

ANA Cargo
Air Canada Cargo
El Al Cargo
Etihad Cargo
IAG Cargo*
TAP
Turkish Cargo

* IAG Cargo explicit adjustment to the statement:

{Name of Entity} has reviewed all available documentation and has determined that none of the cargo being offered in this consignment or consolidation either originated in, transferred from, or transited through any point in Yemen, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria or Somalia.

Consequences of non-compliance

Failure to provide the required "Established Business Relationship Statement" will result in the cargo being rejected for transport, causing potential delays and disruptions to your shipping schedule.

Importance of Accurate Goods Descriptions Related to US Authority Requirements

Due to more strict regulations enforced by the US CBP (Customs and Border Protection), goods descriptions for shipments to the United States must be more precise. The list of unacceptable goods descriptions can be found here.

Importance of Accurate Goods Descriptions Related to Canada Authority Requirements

Effective November 1, 2024, all mandatory data elements required for both the Master Air Waybills (MAWBs) and House Air Waybills (HAWBs) must be complete and accurate for each shipment at the time of tender. This is essential to ensure that your shipments move as booked and comply with Canadian authority requirements.

Note: HS Codes are not currently mandatory for PACT.

For more information about Transport Canada’s PACT Program, please refer to the following resources:

Cargo Descriptions – Unacceptable vs Acceptable
PACT Technical Implementation guide (link to the guide can be found under the "Data formats" section)

Countries affected

This directive applies to cargo originating from a specified list of countries. Please ensure to check the list of origin countries that fall under this directive below to remain compliant.

For any further clarification or assistance, please contact the cargo security team of the respective airline directly.

List of origins in alphabetical order

Albania
Andorra
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Republic

Denmark

Estonia
Finland
France

Georgia
Germany
Greece

Holy See
Hungary

Iceland
Ireland
Italy

Kazakhstan
Kosovo
Kyrgyzstan

Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg

Malta
Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro

Netherlands
North Macedonia
Norway

Poland
Portugal

Republic of Cyprus
Romania
Russia

San Marino
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland

Tajikistan
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Uzbekistan

Useful external links about the new regulations

EBR_statement_form.pdf