Customs Manifest
Customs manifest management has long been an integral component of the inbound and outbound cargo clearance process, and manifest procedures are indispensable in cargo transport and declaration. Do you know what a manifest is? What role does it play in cargo clearance? How does customs supervise manifest operations?
Let us walk you through everything you need to know about manifest operations.
What Is a Manifest?
A manifest, short for 'manifest of inbound and outbound means of transport,' refers to documentation reflecting information on cargo, articles, and passengers carried by means of transport entering or leaving the territory. It includes original manifests, pre-stowage manifests, and loading manifests.
It is important to note that the manifest plays a critical role in import and export cargo clearance. Only after manifest data has been successfully transmitted can the remaining clearance procedures for import and export cargo and articles be processed. In other words, the manifest comes first, followed by customs declaration.
Key Definitions for Maritime Manifests
Original Manifest: A manifest transmitted by the manifest filer to customs reflecting information on cargo and articles loaded on or passengers carried by inbound means of transport.
Pre-Stowage Manifest: A manifest reflecting information on cargo and articles expected to be loaded on or passengers expected to be carried by outbound means of transport.
Loading Manifest: A manifest reflecting information on cargo and articles actually loaded on or passengers actually carried by outbound means of transport.
Bill of Lading (B/L): A document proving the existence of a cargo or article transport contract, confirming that the cargo or articles have been received or loaded by the carrier, and serving as the carrier's undertaking to deliver the cargo or articles accordingly.
Master Bill of Lading: A bill of lading issued by the transport operator or shipping agency.
House Bill of Lading: A bill of lading issued under a master bill of lading by enterprises such as non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs), freight forwarders, or express operators.
Arrival Report: A record submitted to customs by the operator of a customs supervision site reflecting the actual arrival status of cargo when inbound and outbound cargo arrives at the customs supervision site, or a record submitted to customs by the operator of passenger clearance or mail processing sites reflecting the actual arrival status of articles.
Tally Report: A record prepared by the operator of a customs supervision site, passenger clearance site, mail processing site, or the tally department for verifying and confirming the actual loading and unloading of cargo and articles on inbound and outbound means of transport.
Evacuation and Diversion: The act of diverting relevant cargo or articles to other customs supervision sites, passenger clearance sites, or mail processing sites to prevent cargo or article congestion and port blockage, based on decisions made by the port administration authority.
Distribution: The act by which the operator of a customs supervision site, passenger clearance site, or mail processing site moves inbound cargo or articles from one site to another.
Container Packing List: A document reflecting the actual loading information of outbound cargo and articles transported in containers prior to container stuffing.
Operational Tips
Bill of lading numbers in manifests must not be duplicated within a 2-year period.
Within 3 years from the date customs accepts manifest and other electronic data, the manifest filer, customs supervision site operator, and tally department must properly retain paper manifests, tally reports, arrival reports, and related account books and records.
What Should Be Noted in Manifest Data Declaration?
Original manifests and pre-stowage manifests include messages for primary data declaration, other data declaration, addition, modification, and deletion.
(I) Where data elements are interrelated, if one data element is filled in, the others must also be completed:
1. Number of packages, packaging type;
2. Communication type code, contact number;
3. Consignee name (non-TO ORDER), consignee address, consignee contact number, communication type code;
4. Notify party name, notify party address, notify party contact number, communication type code;
5. Dangerous goods contact person name, dangerous goods contact number, communication type code.
(II) Modification Messages
The manifest filer, voyage number, means of transport code, master bill of lading number, house bill of lading number (conditional), reason code for change, description of change reason, change application contact name, change application contact phone number, shipment sequence number (conditional), and container number (conditional) are mandatory fields. Among these, the means of transport code, means of transport name, and container number cannot be modified.
(III) Deletion Messages
The manifest filer name, voyage number, means of transport code, master bill of lading number, house bill of lading number (conditional), reason code for change, description of change reason, change application contact name, and change application contact phone number are mandatory; all other fields are left blank.
(IV) The reason code for change, description of change reason, change application contact name, and change application contact phone number are only completed in modification and deletion messages; they are left blank in all other cases.
(V) Transmission for Temporary Import/Export Empty Containers
Loaded containers and temporarily imported/exported empty containers must not be transmitted to customs under the same bill of lading number. For bills of lading involving empty container imports/exports, the shipment sequence number, cargo packaging type, number of packages, brief cargo description, gross cargo weight, dangerous goods code, shipping marks, and customs tariff code shall not be filled in.
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