BRUSSELS, Belgium, April 13, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Descartes Systems Group (TSX:DSG) (Nasdaq:DSGX), a federated global logistics network, announced its Global Customs Working Group is hosting over 50 leading European and Global organizations in Brussels today to discuss strategies on the upcoming European Union (EU) customs filing mandates. Descartes and recently acquired Porthus, along with their combined customers will address the security and automation of trade shipments into the EU and discuss approaches to support the upcoming EU customs compliance regulations.
Descartes' Global Customs Working Group plays an important role in standardizing transactions automating multi-party processes, as well as in informing and educating logistics-intensive organizations. Descartes will provide first-hand access to importers, customs brokers, carriers, freight forwarders, non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs) and shippers to the Descartes solutions developed to meet these regulations. The meeting will specifically focus on the Import Control System (ICS), discuss its impact from both a global and European perspective and describe the responsibility of each party involved. Descartes will showcase their ICS and pre-notification regulation capabilities as well as demonstrate the integration of both import, transit and export security in its unifying platform.
The Import Control System (ICS) is the electronic pre-arrival security declaration system for the importation of goods into the European Union. In this system, goods destined for the EU are subject to a risk analysis prior to arrival. The system is scheduled to be launched progressively country by country and a period of enforcement begins on January 1, 2011, when all organizations moving goods into Europe will have to comply.
On hand to speak will be Mr. Michael Schmidt, Compliance and Facilitation Director of the World Customs Organization (WCO). Mr. Schmidt will give insight into the trend towards more advanced filing systems around the world and provide a global perspective to ICS by comparing it the growing number of similar control systems used in other countries such as AMS, ISF 10+2, ABI and others and speak to the facilitation of tools for security that the WCO offers to those addressing the SAFE framework.
Descartes' Global Trade Compliance solutions offer comprehensive services to help organizations comply with global customs regulations. To accommodate customers' varying technical capabilities, Descartes offers options that range from a user-friendly Web solution that permits manual entry of data information to a tightly integrated system-to-system electronic document exchange.
"Europe is one of the next regions where customs compliance mandates are impacting global trade and every mode of transportation and every participant in the global supply chain is looking carefully at their role in compliance," said Jonathan Wasserman, Senior Vice President, Global Trade Compliance Solutions at Descartes. "Together with our customers' Global Customs Working Group, our United by Design partners, and using the domain knowledge from our acquisitions of Porthus and Dexx, we are working collectively to ensure that our customers are well-informed and prepared for the upcoming EU regulations as they are mandated."
Descartes' Global Trade Compliance solutions are a part of the Descartes federated Global Logistics Network (GLN). The GLN pre-connects supply chain participants, Logistics Service Providers and Customs authorities, and automates, manages and streamlines shipment processes, end-to-end, from source to consumer, with ongoing multi-mode real-time visibility. Descartes' Global Trade Compliance solutions help companies meet regulatory requirements for international shipments for both international customs agencies and security initiatives.
About Descartes
Descartes (TSX:DSG) (Nasdaq:DSGX) is making the world a better place by enabling global organizations with logistics-intensive businesses to save money by improving the productivity and performance of their operations. Underlying Descartes' offerings is the Descartes Global Logistics Network (GLN), one of the world's most extensive multi-modal business applications network. Descartes' logistics management solutions provide messaging services between logistics trading partners, shipment management services to help manage third party carriers, global customs filing and compliance services to meet regulatory requirements and private fleet management services for organizations of all sizes. Descartes' solutions and services deliver results by enabling organizations around the world to reduce administrative costs, billing cycles, fleet size, contract carrier costs, and mileage driven; improve pickup and delivery reliability; and optimize working capital through fleet visibility. Descartes' hosted, transactional and packaged solutions deliver repeatable, measurable results and fast time-to-value. Descartes customers include an estimated 1,600 ground carriers and more than 90 airlines, 30 ocean carriers, 900 freight forwarders and third-party providers of logistics services, and hundreds of manufacturers, retailers, distributors, private fleet owners and regulatory agencies. The company has more than 500 employees and is based in Waterloo, Ontario, with operations in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Copenhagen, Eindhoven, Gent, Heverlee, Antwerp, Namestovo, Pittsburgh, Ottawa, Montreal, Miami, Washington DC, Derby, London, Silver Spring, Stockholm, Suzhou, Shanghai, Tokyo, Toronto, and Zilina. For more information, visit www.descartes.com.
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This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements") that relate to Descartes' solution offering and potential benefits derived therefrom; Descartes' ability to help customers comply with emerging compliance initiatives and other matters. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, changes in the structure or deployment of compliance initiatives and the factors and assumptions discussed in the section entitled, "Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results" in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities commissions across Canada. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. We do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.