Trade groups say ISO supply chain process flawed
A coalition of organizations representing U.S. and European shippers and ocean carriers is protesting the way supply chain security standards are being developed by the International Organization for Standardization, saying a technical working group is ramming through proposed standards at lightning speed without the normal input from governments and the actual owners and operators of the supply chain.
The Retail Industry Leaders Association, the World Shipping Council, the National Industrial Transportation League, the European Shippers’ Council, the European Community Shipowners’ Association and BIMCO issued a statement saying that the technical committee only requested comments on a final supply chain security draft from a select group of consultants and a handful of ocean carriers while ignoring importers, exporters, non-vessel-operating common carriers, freight forwarders and customs brokers.
The group also complained that the standard being approved was presented to the working group four weeks ago in anticipation of final adoption by the end of April, calling it an unrealistically short timeframe for developing complex standards. Criteria approved by the working group would then be sent to the full committee for final approval later this year, and then voted on by the full ISO.
“This very limited communication regarding such a potentially significant issue as the development of international ‘security management systems’ standards, unfortunately and regrettably, reflects an apparent continued disregard by the (Technical Committee’s Working Group 8) leadership of basic principles of fairness, transparency and inclusiveness,” the joint statement said.
“The continued lack of any apparent willingness or interest on the part of the TC8 leadership and the Working Group to seriously involve and consult with the supply chain stakeholders discredits the process,” it said.
The ISO is a internationally recognized standards setting body which typically brings together industry experts representing suppliers, users, government regulators and other interest groups to achieve voluntary consensus on specifications and criteria for classifying, producing, testing and defining business processes and products.
The comprehensive supply chain security standards under discussion cover all modes of freight transportation.
World Shipping Council President Christopher Koch said other ISO working groups, such as one developing radio frequency identification standards for electronic seals, are open and transparent.
The six trade associations also asked the ISO committee to postpone a final decision on the standards until confusion about the scope of two overlapping subgroups is cleared up.