An Post is working with specialist Hurricane Commerce to help develop its cross-border e-commerce capability.
The postal operator in the Republic of Ireland has integrated Hurricane’s Zephyr solution to enhance the quality of its advance electronic data on mail parcels, in anticipation of increased requirements related to parcel data due to both Brexit and the STOP Act in the USA, and further major changes in March with the implementation of the Import Control System 2 (ICS2) requiring postal operators to make entry summary declarations on all packets and parcels.
Earlier this year, Hurricane Commerce launched its Zephyr data enhancement product which allows bulk clearance facilities to check the accuracy of data including product descriptions and HS6 codes, and receive additional pertinent or missing information all under a single quick-check function.
David Spottiswood, co-founder, Hurricane Commerce, said, “We are delighted to be helping An Post meet the mandatory requirements for data on mail parcels. An Post is an innovative, forward-looking post that is putting itself in the strongest possible position to not only be compliant but also to take advantage of the exponential growth in cross-border e-commerce.
“The swathe of regulations coming into effect from the start of 2021 will result in parcels being held up and, in many cases, rejected unless they contain the required customs clearance data. Having the necessary complete and valid electronic data will ensure that mail items flow smoothly through customs and on to their intended customer.”
Cyril Mc Grane, An Post’s director of international trade, added, “We are investing heavily in our cross-border e-commerce capability and Hurricane will play an important part in this. The continuing enhancement of the data quality on parcels will ensure we meet the regulatory requirements and provide benefits operationally, financially and, most importantly of all, in terms of customer satisfaction.”