Peter Verbaas of GroentenFruit Huis recently stated in an article that customs should come up with a solution to solve the problems and delays around the scans. Customs is working on a solution for the delays, but it wasn't in use on June 1, the inspection service announced.
Anneke van den Breemer, Regional director of Rotterdam Port.
It's a particularly tight fit when a lot of large container ships from risk areas arrive at once. A lot of containers are then selected for the scan. As fruit and vegetables come from risk areas relatively often, they are selected for the scan relatively often. "Most containers are released within 36 hours. Delays are still incidental, but I understand that it seems like it happens often for the fruit and vegetables sector," explains Anneke van den Breemer, regional director of Rotterdam Port.
Sufficient capacity
"Customs has more than enough scanning capacity," Anneke explains. "We scan 42,000 containers per year, that's the starting point, it equals 1.1 percent of all containers that arrive in Rotterdam." The scan at the Bosporusstraat in Rotterdam, one of the customs' scanning locations, can process 800 to 900 containers per week. In theory this is sufficient to scan all containers.
At peak times there can be delays at the scans.
To be able to absorb the peaks that can occur, customs will be putting an extra scan into use in the first quarter of next year. This will increase the capacity. Agreements will also be made with terminals to share out the logistics as efficiently as possible. The problems are already minimal at the terminals Uniport and Waalhaven. "In discussion with businesses we organised the logistics well and have the situation under control. With the mobile scans we can double the scan capacity on the Delta peninsula if we need to."
Read an extensive interview with Anneke van den Breemer, Regional director of Rotterdam Port, in June's Primeur (appears June 24). Click here to subscribe.
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