Compliance requirements for international imports into Europe are changing - are you prepared?

When it comes to compliance, 99.9% complete is not good enough - it's either correct or incorrect. In an environment where commercial imperatives put pressure on the need for speed, quality and accuracy may be compromised. This can result in increased exposure to non-compliance and ultimately penalties.

Adding to these pre-existing import challenges are new and more stringent data collection requirements for international imports into the European Union, Norway, Switzerland and Northern Ireland, known as Import Control System 2 (ICS2).

Designed to better protect with new customs safety and security measures, ICS2 provides an extra risk assessment layer to existing civil aviation security requirements, while streamlining customs processes to simplify and accelerate cross-border shipments.

What does ICS2 mean for you?

With ICS2 entering its second phase from March 2023, all Airlines will be required to submit detailed shipment information into a new centralized system known as the ‘Shared Trader Interface’ before goods are loaded onto an aircraft.

As it is ultimately the Airline’s responsibility to file this information prior to loading the aircraft, to meet ICS2 compliance requirements, you are required to record complete and accurate Shipment (house level) data and transmit it to the Airline in a timely manner.

Failure to meet ICS2 declaration requirements may result in goods being stopped at customs borders, with possible sanctions imposed for non-compliance.

How to get ready for phase two of ICS2

CargoWise has been updated to ensure mandatory data for air transport going to or via the European Union, Norway, Switzerland and Northern Ireland is included in the Air Waybill, both printed and electronic.

This includes controls on the format of data submitted, as well as stricter requirements for existing data fields.

Managing your shipment data on a single system is essential to ensure global compliance. Setting up, managing, and maintaining individual customs and compliance software or databases for every country you operate in is unsustainable, with the potential for error increasing every time you manually enter or transfer data.

CargoWise is purpose built for the needs of the global logistics industry and is constantly updated to reflect changing laws and legislation, so you can be confident you’re submitting the right information to the Airlines and are compliant with customs regulations, harmonized tariffs, local tax rules and more.

Make sure your business is ICS2 ready for today with CargoWise. Learn more about our comprehensive compliance capabilities.

Already a CargoWise customer? Take a look at our latest update note for everything you need to know to get started.