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New US sanctions 'a warning to anyone supporting Iran's airlines'

Supply chain operatives active in the Middle East could find themselves exposed to new US sanctions against the Iranian aviation sector, with the threat of increasing delays in cargo processing also on the cards. Amid increasing its military activity against Iranian targets, the Trump administration yesterday issued 36 sanctions targeting not only Iranian aviation, but companies considered to be supporting it, with Turkish, Malaysian, and Emirati firms explicitly listed. US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said: "We promised severe consequences for those providing financial lifelines to the Iranian regime. Let this be a warning to anyone doing business with Iran's remaining airlines: you are at risk of being cut off from the global financial system." Going after third-country firms supporting the activity of sanctioned Mahan Air, for example, is something of a step-change in the US approach, with Washington paying particularly close attention to those providing aircraft transfers, cargo services, or GSSA support. Worryingly for businesses, operating through the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) the sanctions announcement exposes businesses to possible repercussions even if they have unwittingly supported Iranian aviation, if it is deemed they "should have known". The treasury also noted that its Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) would be "highlighting several key red flag indicators to help detect, prevent, and report potentially suspicious activity". Forwarders handling parts and maintenance materials to countries neighbouring Iran will need to carry out more stringent compliance checks to make sure they are not ultimately servicing sanctioned Iranian airlines. If a shipment listed for a UAE-based company ends up with one of the sanctioned carriers, OFAC will ask whether the forwarder "should have known" this was a procurement front for the Iranian airline before deciding how to act. With previous sanctions, SME forwarders have often found themselves caught in a balancing act between the cost of compliance and the risk of the getting it wrong, which led them to opt out of potentially exposed markets rather than continue. Miad Maleki, ,former senior treasury official and fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the suspension would hit major airfreight hubs, including Doha, Dubai, and Istanbul, leaving forwarders with yet another conundrum from the US war on Iran. Kuehne+Nagel (K+N) subsidiary Apex Logistics recently found itself in hot water with the US authorities, the Singapore-based firm being investigated over suspicions it has been defying US sanctions on China by supplying the country with restricted AI chips. Despite K+N telling The Loadstar it had not been contacted by US authorities and that Apex was cooperating in the investigation, it said this and the new sanctions on Iran pointed to "a more hawkish approach" from Washington on sanctions policing.

Belgium welcomes new ecommerce fee and steps up war on non-compliance

The EU's €3 fee on low-value ecommerce parcels has already triggered a major shift in how goods enter Europe, with simplified customs declarations in Belgium falling around 50% year on year, according to Belgium's customs chief, Kristian Vanderwaeren. At the EU CBEC ecommerce forum yesterday, Mr Vanderwaeren, general administrator of Customs and Excise at Belgium's Federal Public Service Finance, spoke on the impact of the new fee that applies to all B2C shipments entering the EU from outside the bloc where their value is below €150. The €3 charge is levied per customs item, rather than simply per parcel. For example, two pairs of jeans falling under the same customs classification would attract one €3 charge, while jeans, sneakers, and earrings classified as three items could attract three charges. That distinction is creating additional work for customs authorities, Mr Vanderwaeren said, as shipments needed to be checked for attempts to manipulate declarations to avoid the fee. Despite only being in effect since 1 July, initial data revealed the measure was having the intended effect of moving more ecommerce traffic into the standard customs process. Comparing July with the same month last year, Belgian Customs recorded a fall of around 50% in low-value H7 declarations, the simplified declaration for low-value consignments valued up to €150, with reduced data requirements and IOSS integration. At the same time, H1 declarations, the number of standard customs declarations for all imports, increased by around 3m. Mr Vanderwaeren cautioned against comparing June with July, however, as ecommerce volumes had surged ahead of the new regulation, as companies had been "stockpiling" goods and pushing shipments into the EU before 1 July. The average value of H7 shipments also increased, from about €5 to €10, in July and August, which Mr Vanderwaeren attributed partly to Chinese companies encouraging consumers to purchase more, and to bundling multiple products into single shipments. Karlheinz Kadner, head of sector at the EC Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union, said the shift from H7 to H1 declarations was welcomed by the commission, as the standard process provided customs with significantly more information and greater scope to carry out checks. "Of course we are happy," Mr Kadner said. "We see that the measure has had an effect. We see that imports are shifted more to the traditional way, which is the standard customs declaration, with much more information than this simplified declaration, and that is exactly what we wanted." Belgian customs collected €223m in duty revenue during the period covered by the presentation. Mr Vanderwaeren estimated that, if current trends continued, Belgian collections could reach €800m-€900m by the end of the year. But he stressed that revenue was not the principal objective, with counterfeiting, product safety, and public health among the primary concerns. Belgian customs inspected just 0.007% of shipments during the period, yet identified around 60,000 non-compliant consignments and Mr Vanderwaeren noted the goal was to increase the number of checks. "The commission is saying this is not enough, and we'll hire people do many more inspections. It is the infringements that are the problem - my main problem. "The data is a game-changer," Mr Vanderwaeren added, arguing that customs' risk analysis should increasingly be carried out at EU rather than national level. He also backed the EC's proposed product identification system, which he said would allow customs authorities to trace products and repeat offenders more effectively and help reduce the high level of non-compliance. "If a [non-compliant] company is sending stuff to us again, we know it and we can block it. This is a very good idea which the commission put in. We still need to implement it, but this is, for me, a very important element to make sure the non-compliance rate reduces."

Turkey-based cargo handler included in US sanctions list

The US has included Turkey-based cargo handler S Sistem Logistics in its sanctions related to the ongoing conflict with Iran. The handler said it had "learned with regret" that it has been included in the current sanctions list published by the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The company said that the decision was linked to "indirect operational processes" at its cargo handling warehouse where goods for Iranian airline Mahan Air were handled. "First of all, it must be stated that the reports published in the press -- claiming that our company coordinated the shipment of unmanned aerial vehicle components to Iran on behalf of Mahan Air -- are completely baseless," the handler stated. The company said that it conducts are operations in accordance with all relevant laws and regulations. "The storage of all goods placed in our company's temporary storage area is managed entirely based on package and weight details, irrespective of the goods' contents; furthermore, in compliance with regulations, we do not possess the right or authority to inspect the contents or handle the goods without the permission of the Customs administration," S Sistems explained. It added: "Consequently, in line with our corporate values and business ethics, no illegal or unethical actions have been -- or could possibly be -- permitted at any stage of our commercial operations." The company said that it has since terminated operations with the airline and is in the process of applying to be delisted from the sanctions. "All operations -- including the storage of any goods potentially associated with the airline company (Mahan Air) cited as the basis for the decision -- as well as all logistics, warehousing, and operational activities (whether direct or indirect) involving any persons or parties linked to said company, have been immediately and permanently terminated as of September 9, 2026." "Our company will maintain its commitment to transparency in all operations conducted within the framework of legal trade and transit logistics regulations, and will resolutely take all necessary legal steps to rectify this unjust situation." According to its website, S Sistems is Turkey's first private ground handling warehouse operator. The sanctions are part of US efforts to ground Iranian airlines, with a total of 36 entites included, mainly airlines but also GSSAs. Also included is Mes Cargo, Icargo and Tour Invest.