News • 26.04.2023

Transitional period for ICS2 extended

Freight forwarders should use window of opportunity to conduct review

On March 1 of this year, the EU customs safety and security system ICS2 was launched for the air cargo industry. In a transitional period that has been extended through June 30, 2023, airlines have more time to adjust to the new procedures. "Air freight forwarders should use this period to ensure that they can provide the airlines with the additional data required," advises DAKOSY authorized officer Dirk Gladiator. This includes the commodity code as well as the complete addresses of both the original sender and the final recipient.

Overview of required data

For air freight, forwarders or loaders must provide the following additional data compared to the current ICS procedure:

  • the complete address of the original sender,
  • the complete address of the final consignee,
  • the commodity code in the form of a six-digit HS code,
  • EORI (the successor of the customs number at EU level) of the consignee.

It is important to note that the information must be properly structured, for example, a postal code must be entered with five digits. Otherwise, the data will not be recognized and this may lead to disruptions in the process. The EORI of the consignee is not technically a mandatory ICS2 specification. However, if the specification is available (the consignee is located in the EU), then the specification should be made. 

Multiple Filing starts on July 1, 2023 at the earliest

A new feature of the ICS2 customs system is the two-stage declaration process with the option of multiple filings. In addition to the previous Pre-Arrival notification (latest submission four hours before arrival of the aircraft), another declaration must be submitted in the future: the Pre-Loading, which must be submitted as early as possible, in any case before loading begins. This information can be submitted by the airline or - what is new – also directly by the freight forwarder. The latter is referred to as multiple filing. Due to the extension of the deadline for the airlines until June 30, 2023, the time window for multiple filing has been shifted backwards. According to current knowledge, conversions can take place between 1.7. and 2.10.2023.

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