EU Import Control System 2 (ICS2) : Go-live Date and Instructions

We would like to inform you about the upcoming third release of the European Union’s Import Control System 2 (ICS2), as well as MSC’s specific requirements and planned go-live date.

As you may already know, ICS2 prescribes that new requirements will be needed for all goods transported on maritime and inland waterways, roads and railways (including postal and express consignments), to or through the 27 European Union countries, and three other countries: Northern Ireland, Norway and Switzerland. This regulation applies also to freight remaining on board.

Affected Economic Operators will have to deliver safety and security data to ICS2 through an Entry Summary Declaration (ENS). The deployment of ICS2 will happen in 3 steps: 

• Step 1: Maritime and inland waterways carriers → deployment window: 3 June 2024 - 4 December 2024
• Step 2: House level filers (Freight Forwarders) → deployment window: 4 December 2024 - 1 April 2025
• Step 3: Road/rail carriers → deployment window: 1 April 2025 - 1 September 2025

MSC is pleased to support and comply with this new regulation, as it will enhance the security and safety of customers’ pre-arrival procedures.

MSC’s go-live date is from September 2024

MSC will begin deploying the new regulations from September 2024, in line with the deployment window for maritime and inland waterway carriers.

We will therefore ask our customers to provide additional safety and security data. This information must be provided no later than 24 hours before the estimated time of loading for deep-sea shipments, and upon the estimated time of vessel departure for all short sea shipments (these deadlines are already in place with the current EU regulation, ICS1).

The main points of the new ICS2 procedure are the following:

• Risk assessment will be completed within 24 hours of receiving the ENS in the new centralized European Customs system, Shared Trader Interface.
• Cargo can only be considered for loading at compliance load port after a successful ENS submission, which will be confirmed based on the acknowledgement received in the form of an MRN.
• The carrier is the main responsible party to lodge an ENS for the goods that will enter the Customs territory of the EU. MSC will comply with the requirement to lodge an ENS, and we will act as declarant (one Master Bill of Lading = one ENS).
• Two possible ENS filing scenarios:

- Multiple filings: the customer (direct customer or freight forwarder) has the legal obligation to file house level information and will be indicated in the carrier filing as a supplementary declarant (house filer), with the submission of the Customer EORI.

- Complete filing via MSC: the customer (direct customer or freight forwarder) will have to provide the full house filing information to the carrier, which will then submit the complete declaration to Customs.

Considering the above, during the Step 1 phase, we will ask you to share the following information with us:

• Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) of the consignee (EU shipments only)
• EORI number of the supplementary declarant in case of multiple ENS filings
• Commodity code: 6-digit Harmonized System (HS) Code
• House Bill(s) included in the shipment: yes or no
• Full address details, including street name, number, PO Box, city, postcode and country for all involved parties
• Buyer and seller information (if these are different from the shipper and consignee, and if the goods are delivered within the EU).

As the go-live date approaches, please be assured that we will share further updates, with detailed instructions on how to provide the additional information as part of the shipping instruction submission process, or on myMSC and other booking channels.

Should you have any questions, please contact your local MSC representatives in our global network of more than 675 offices.