Archive - April 2020

Radio silence due to coronavirus COVID-19: Ham Radio not taking place as planned

15.04.2020

Friedrichshafen – Due to current developments in regard to the spread of coronavirus COVID-19, Messe Friedrichshafen has been forced to make a very difficult decision: the international amateur radio exhibition Ham Radio will not be taking place in the planned period of June 26 to 28, 2020, but instead from June 25 to 27, 2021. The Federal Government and the Minister-Presidents of the Länder decided yesterday, April 15 that no major events shall take place until August 31, 2020.

“Due to current developments relating to the coronavirus, we have the unfortunate duty of announcing that we cannot hold the 45th edition of Ham Radio as planned,” explains Klaus Wellmann, Managing Director of Messe Friedrichshafen. In recent weeks, it was already necessary to make the same decision in regard to other events (Aqua-Fisch, IBO, AERO, Tuning World Bodensee, and Motorworld Classics Bodensee). Project Manager Petra Rathgeber also expressed her sadness about this turn of events: “We very much regret that this event cannot take place as planned. However, the health of all exhibitors and visitors is of utmost importance to us. Unfortunately, our trade fair calendar and the dates of other industry events leave no room for postponing this fair to another date this year.” Christian Entsfellner, Chair of the German Amateur Radio Club (DARC), adds: “Our members, domestic and foreign guests, and we ourselves have been hit hard by this decision, which now became necessary to make on short notice. Until we get together again in Friedrichshafen, we as amateur radio operators are looking forward to keeping in contact with one another using amateur radio.” However, radio amateurs do not have to do without everything the Ham Radio fair normally has to offer: On the Ham Radio website, exhibitors will be presenting product innovations in the form of a virtual trade fair. DARC will also be offering presentations there.

The exhibitors, visitors, and partners involved are currently being informed about this opportunity.

Brazil Customs Refuse Bureau cards and this is just the start to how things are going to change for shipment of Bureau cards around the world.
Since the start of the IARU Bureau service all we needed was an address in the member state to send Bureau cards. This is no longer the case.

From the 1st January 2019 The Universal Postal Union (UPU) requires you to provide electronic customs data when sending ‘goods’ across border.
Countries are adopting the submission of electronic data at variable speeds due to their existing IT infrastructure and ability to embrace change but from 2020 the expectation is that most countries will apply the changes more rigorously.
There are benefits to the legislation including smoother and more efficient transit times with fewer delays and subsequently fewer customer complaints.
What items are affected?
Untracked international items, with an intrinsic value. Including large letters, packets and e-commerce. * Printed matter is not affected.
What you need to remember:
• Goods to display an S10 barcode attached to the label as well as a customs declaration (CN22/23)
Advanced Electronic Data (AED) to be submitted, in the form of an electronic manifest advising the details declared on your CN22/23.
Harmonised System codes (otherwise known as HS or Tariff Codes) form part of the data requested on your customs declaration form (CN22/23).
The UPU requires these customs forms to be completed accurately and in full to facilitate a rapid clearance in the recipient country.

The submission of S10 barcodes and AED is a global customs requirement with the EU introducing it from January 2020.
What this means is that Bureaus MUST provide the following information:
Recipient Full Name
Recipient email address (of the bureau department)
Recipients Telephone Number
Then the sender can acquire a S10 barcode from the shipping company. This is quite an urgent matter. Already here we have had to suspend all Bureau shipments to Brazil, Argentina and Belarus as the customs refuse entry of our parcels because of no Pre-Advice Electronic Data. Ironically from our fact finding * “Printed matter is not affected” BUT and this is the big but…. if you do not use S10 barcode some customs / duane are returning the items regardless that they are * “Printed Matter” whilst others are slapping a handling fee because we have no S10 barcode. The United Radio QSL Bureau have notified the IARU on a number of occasions of these changes but have yet to put facilities in place to provide the data needed.