§ 1546.205 - Acceptance and screening of cargo.

§ 1546.205 Acceptance and screening of cargo.

(a) Preventing or deterring the carriage of any explosive or incendiary. Each foreign air carrier operating a program under § 1546.101(a), (b), (e), or (f) must use the procedures, facilities, and equipment described in its security program to prevent or deter the carriage of any unauthorized person, and any unauthorized explosive, incendiary, and other destructive substance or item in cargo onboard an aircraft.

(b) Refusal to transport. Each foreign air carrier operating a program under § 1546.101(a), (b), (e), or (f) must refuse to transport any cargo, if the shipper does not consent to a search or inspection of that cargo in accordance with the system prescribed by this part.

(c) Control. Each foreign air carrier operating a program under § 1546.101(a), (b), or (e) must use the procedures in its security program to control cargo that it accepts for transport on an aircraft in a manner that -

(1) Prevents the carriage of any unauthorized person, and any unauthorized explosive, incendiary, and other destructive substance or item onboard the aircraft.

(2) Prevents access by unauthorized persons other than an authorized foreign air carrier employee or agent, or persons authorized by the airport operator or host government.

(d) Screening and inspection of cargo in the United States. For cargo to be loaded in the United States, each foreign air carrier operating a program under § 1546.101(1)(a), (b), (e), or (f) must ensure that cargo is screened and inspected for any unauthorized person, and any unauthorized explosive, incendiary, and other destructive substances or items as provided in the foreign air carrier's security program and § 1546.207, and as provided in § 1546.213 for operations under § 1546.101(a) or (b), before loading it on its aircraft in the United States.

(e) Acceptance of cargo only from specified persons. Except as otherwise provided in its program, each foreign air carrier operating a program under § 1546.101(a), (b), (e) or (f) may accept cargo for air transportation to be loaded in the United States only from the shipper, or from an aircraft operator, foreign air carrier, or indirect air carrier operating under a security program under this chapter with a comparable cargo security program, or, in the case of a foreign air carrier under § 1546.101(a) or (b), from a certified cargo screening facility, as provided in its security program.

(f) Acceptance of cargo to be loaded for transport to the United States. Each foreign air carrier subject to this part that accepts cargo to be loaded on its aircraft for transport to the United States must carry out the requirements of its security program.

(g) Screening of cargo loaded inside the United States under § 1546.101(a) or (b). For cargo to be loaded in the United States, each foreign air carrier under § 1546.101(a) or (b) must ensure that all cargo is screened in the United States as follows:

(1) Amount screened.

(i) Not later than February 3, 2009, each foreign air carrier must ensure that at least 50 percent of its cargo is screened prior to transport on a passenger aircraft.

(ii) Not later than August 3, 2010, each foreign air carrier must ensure that 100 percent of its cargo is screened prior to transport on a passenger aircraft.

(2) Methods of screening. For the purposes of this paragraph (g), the foreign air carrier must ensure that cargo is screened using a physical examination or non-intrusive method of assessing whether cargo poses a threat to transportation security, as provided in its security program. Such methods may include TSA-approved x-ray systems, explosives detection systems, explosives trace detection, explosives detection canine teams certified by TSA, a physical search together with manifest verification, or other method approved by TSA.

(3) Limitation on who may conduct screening. Screening must be conducted by the foreign air carrier, by another aircraft operator or foreign air carrier operating under a security program under this chapter with a comparable cargo security program, by a certified cargo screening facility in accordance with 49 CFR part 1549, or by TSA.

(4) The foreign air carrier must verify that the chain of custody measures for the screened cargo are intact prior to loading such cargo on aircraft, or must ensure that the cargo is re-screened in accordance with this chapter.

[71 FR 30512, May 26, 2006, as amended at 74 FR 47704, Sept. 16, 2009; 76 FR 51868, Aug. 18, 2011; 76 FR 53081, Aug. 25, 2011]