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As of July 1, 2026, the European Union's Import Control System 2 (ICS2) is now fully operational, completing a multi-year customs modernization that carries significant implications for ocean carriers and freight forwarders moving cargo into EU ports. The system requires all maritime shipments bound for the EU, Norway, and Switzerland to be accompanied by a completed Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) before the vessel departs and filed no later than 24 hours prior to loading.

Under ICS2, ocean carriers and freight forwarders share filing responsibilities through a "multiple filing" structure. Carriers and freight forwarders are required to submit various pieces of master and house level data, respectively, and the declarations from each side must match to proceed. In many cases, ocean carriers are now requiring freight forwarders to file house-level data independently as a condition of the business relationship, making compliance not just a regulatory obligation but a commercial one as well.

The data requirements are more stringent than in the previous system. Each statement must include a Harmonized System (HS) code per product, detailed descriptions of goods and their intended uses, and EORI numbers for both consignors and consignees. Incorrect or missing data at the house level exposes the forwarder to consequences including cargo holds, clearance delays, or refusal of entry at EU ports.

For short sea shipments, the window is narrower still. The ENS must be accepted at least two hours before the vessel arrives at its first EU port of call. As ICS2 compliance becomes the baseline for all cargo moving through European waters, the margin for incomplete documentation has effectively been eliminated.

‍Read More at International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations

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