From 1 March 2023, all freight forwarders, air carriers, express couriers, and postal operators transporting goods to or through the European Union (including Norway and Switzerland) will be required to submit advance cargo information in the form of a complete entry summary declaration (ENS), under the second phase of the EU’s new customs pre-arrival security and safety program – Import Control System 2 (ICS2) Release 2.
The system is being implemented in three releases. Having successfully completed Release 1 covering the pre-loading process for postal and express consignments by air on 15 March 2021, Release 2 is the next step in the system’s implementation, and it will go live on 1 March 2023. Release 3 will be implemented from 1 March 2024, requiring operators carrying goods on maritime and inland waterways, roads, and railways to comply with the new regulations.
Thus, economic operators involved in the processing, dispatch, shipment, and transportation of goods and express or postal consignments to or through the EU by air must comply with new pre-load and pre-arrival customs risk assessments. The countries that this applies to include the UAE and Saudi
