Processing imported goods and passengers arriving from Japan 24 March 2011Â
The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) and the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing are closely monitoring and assessing the situation, including the potential exposure to radiation of people and goods travelling from Japan to Australia.
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Passenger processing
ARPANSA and the Chief Medical Officer have advised the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) that Australians returning from Japan are highly unlikely to be contaminated or to have been exposed to significant levels of radiation, and the risks to health are very low. This includes passengers arriving on commercial aircraft, cruise ships, and in other small craft.
In addition, the risk of any contamination being ‘transferred’ from passengers returning from Japan to other people (such as in crowded baggage or arrival halls, or while checking in for connecting flights or during baggage handling processes) are negligible.
Accordingly, no checks for radioactivity are required.
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International mail, sea and air cargo and aircraft
The Japanese Government, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and ARPANSA have advised that there is a small chance goods from the Fukushima region and an isolated area near Onagawa have been exposed to very low levels of radiation.
However, the risk to health of people handling mail, containers or cargo arriving from these areas is assessed as very low. This includes handling ‘permeable’ goods such as leatherwear, textiles or other goods made from other plant or animal material.
The risk is also very low when boarding vessels (including aircraft) for clearance or loading/unloading purposes (for example, when clearing small craft, or unloading bulk goods from container ships or commercial aircraft).
Accordingly, at this point in time it is not considered necessary to introduce any radiation screening measures for mail, sea or air cargo, or aircraft arriving from Japan.
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Imports of fresh produce
Current advice from Foods Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is that the risk of Australian consumers being exposed to radionuclides in food imported from Japan is negligible. Australia does not import fresh produce from Japan. In fact, Australia imports very little food from Japan. Imports are limited to a small range of speciality products, for example, seafood, seaweed–based products, and sauces.
As a precautionary measure, FSANZ has requested that the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) tests certain fresh or frozen foods originating from the Japanese prefectures of Fuskushima, Gunma, Ibaraki and Tochigi. The foods are milk and milk products, fresh fruit and vegetables, seaweed and seafood (fresh and frozen).
Importers of this type of produce from Japan from the four prefectures listed above should be aware that their goods will be referred to AQIS for testing to check that the foods do not contain unacceptable levels of radionuclides.
Foods that may have been outdoors (such as fresh produce from crops grown in fields, gardens or allotments or sold in outdoor markets), fish, shellfish and seaweed products, and milk.
Food that has been stored inside (such as in warehouses or other buildings) prior to export to Australia should be safe. Further information can be obtained from the ‘What’s New’ section on the FSANZ website.
Importers should note that all food (whether imported from Japan or elsewhere) must be declared to AQIS on arrival in Australia.
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Quake damaged ports could take months to recover
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A number of Japan's northern ports are expected to be out of action for months following the recent earthquake and resulting tsunami, according to Reuters. While every port in the country shut down briefly following the quake, ports south of Tokyo have now resumed operations. Many north of Tokyo are still being evaluated, but Hachinohe, Sendai, Ishinomaki and Onahama could take months to rebuild, a shipping insider told Reuters. These ports handle mostly containers and dry cargo. Daily losses in sea trade alone are expected to run into the billions of dollars, while major congestion is expected in operating ports. Shippers are considering re-routing cargo, particularly crude oil, until the situation improves. |
 Source: Baird Maritime
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Political Unrest Slows Global Growth
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Air freight carried by Asia-Pacific carriers fell by 4.5% in February. This reflects plant closures associated with Chinese New Year as well as the impact of inflation-fighting measures in the Chinese economy. In terms of volumes, this had the largest impact in slowing global growth to 2.3%--the weakest growth since the beginning of the third quarter in 2009.Compared to January, freight carried by the region’s carriers fell by 6.6%.
• On the back of unrest in Egypt and Tunisia, cargo carried by African carriers fell by 5.7%. In absolute terms, the freight carried by the region’s carriers fell by 8.4% in February compared to January.
• North American carriers saw freight expand by 11.8%, second only to the robust 12.1% expansion by Latin American carriers. European carriers showed weak growth of 6.3%, reflecting the region’s proximity and trade connections with North Africa and the continuing weakness in the European economy.
The industry fundamentals are good. But extraordinary circumstances have made the first quarter of 2011 very difficult,†said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO. The industry situation is volatile and we are watching higher fuel prices carefully. Capacity increases ahead of demand are bringing down load factors for both passenger and cargo operations. Demand is still supported by strong economic fundamentals. But with looser supply and demand conditions, it will be a challenge for airlines to recover the added costs of fuel.
Source: ACW
