England

BL instructions must be submitted to the relevant regional Export departments by the cut-off date of the vessel on which the cargo will be loaded. Cargo for which BL instructions are not received by the cut-off date will be planned to load on the next vessel.
The following information must be included in the BL instructions:

• Shipper (Sender Company)
• Consignee (Receiver Company)
• Notify Party (Notification Address)
• Port of Loading
• Port of Discharge
• Final Delivery Address
• Vessel Name and Voyage
• Container Type and Quantity
• Cargo Description
• Number and Type of Packages
• Tonnage (Cargo Weight)
• Type and Number of Bill of Lading
• HTS Code (GTIP Code)
• Freight Payment Terms (Prepaid / Collect)
• AMS Information (for USA shipments)
• ICS-2 Information (for European shipments)
• ACID Information (for Egypt shipments)
• Consignee Tax Office Number

The customs declaration must be completed by the vessel’s cut-off date and time, and the reference number in the customs declaration (DUCR – Declaration Unique Consignment Reference) must be sent to the Export department of the loading port agent. Cargo for which customs clearance is not completed by the cut-off date will be planned to load on the next vessel.

Ports in UK may have different implementations of VGM.

For Port of Felixstowe, VGM can be provided by shipper or terminal weigh can be requested. Type of VGM required should be confirmed with the agent at the time of booking with the badge code if applicable.

Shipper’s VGM should be provided to export department within the given deadline and as required by SOLAS regulations. Extra charges incurred because of delay or discrepancy between Port’s weigh and shipper’s VGM will be in Merchants account.

ISF must be submitted to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 24 hours prior to departure from the loading port for shipments destined for the United States.

ISF is the responsibility of both the shipper and the consignee. The following information must be provided when submitting ISF:

• Manufacturer (or supplier) name and address
• Seller (or owner) name and address
• Buyer (or owner) name and address
• Registered Importer number, name, and address
• Consignee number(s)
• Country of origin
• Ship-to name and address
• Container stuffing location
• Consolidator (stuffing party) name and address
• HTS Code
• Master Bill of Lading number
• House Bill of Lading number
• SCAC Code

ICS-2 applies to all EU member states (27 countries), as well as Switzerland, Norway, and Northern Ireland.

ICS-2 declaration must be submitted to the EU Customs 24 hours prior to vessel departure and the information must be sent to the relevant regional Export departments within the cut-off time as part of the BL instructions.

The following information must be included in ICS-2 submission:

• At least 6-digit HTS code
• Full description of goods
• Consignee EORI number
• Notify EORI number
• Shipper and Consignee information
• Actual Shipper and Consignee information
• Quantity and weight
• Master Bill of Lading information
• House Bill of Lading information

For containers remain on board, ICS-2 declarations for the vessel’s port calls will be submitted by the agent based on the information in the BL instructions.

The exporter is responsible for entering the ACID number obtained from the importer on all export documents and sending it to the importer via the Cargo X platform. ACID information must be provided at the booking stage.

The following information must be submitted to the Export departments along with the BL instructions:

• ACID Number
• Importer Tax ID
• Exporter Registration Type
• Foreign Exporter Number
• Foreign Exporter Country

Copy of a valid ACID confirmation (available at https://www.nafeza.gov.eg/en/aci/validate-lock)

The number of original bills of lading to be issued must be indicated in the BL instructions. Original bills of lading are delivered to the person specified by the shipper against a delivery receipt.

Upon written request, bills of lading can be sent by mail at the shipper’s risk and responsibility, for a fee.

For Seawaybill issuance, the shipper must indicate “SEAWAYBILL” in the BL instructions, and the Seawaybill undertaking must be prepared by the shipper shown on the BL and submitted to the agent before vessel arrival.

For Telex Release, the shipper must provide a written Telex Release instruction via email, and the endorsed original BL must be physically submitted by the shipper to the Export department of the loading agent.