Advance Cargo Data Elements for Risk Assessments - European Union
The data elements required for the advance cargo security filings together with explanatory notes on their interpretation and application are set forth in an Annex 30A to the implementing provisions of the European Community Customs Code.
Acceptable cargo description
The Annex 30A provides that cargo descriptions can be provided either by referencing the commodity code or a plain language description that “is precise enough for Customs services to be able to identify the goods”.
The European Commission has developed guidelines for acceptable and non-acceptable plain language cargo descriptions in the advance cargo security filings.
The national Customs administrations of the EU Member States may target cargo shipments for physical examination if an advance cargo security filing uses cargo descriptions that are deemed “unacceptable”. In making such determinations, these Customs administrations may use the Commission's cargo description guidelines.
In order to avoid delays in cargo flows, including Customs releases, ocean carriers' shipper customers should ensure that the cargo descriptions they provide the ocean carriers for inclusion in their bills of lading is in conformance with the Guidelines. This is because these cargo descriptions serve as the basis for the ocean carriers' lodgment of manifests, summary declarations for temporary storage, and eventually also advance cargo information.