Import Control System 2 (ICS2)

Import Control System 2 (ICS2) is a new version of the EU’s original Import Control System and brings new requirements to transporters shipping cargo into the EU via sea, road or rail. ICS2 is a new pre-arrival security and safety programme, made to process cargo information, support risk assessment and support security and safety at EU borders. This will impact the information provided within the Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) and the Declaration to Temporary Storage (ATO).

What will change?

Instead of sending the Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) directly to the customs office in the country of entry, all member states will transmit the details to a centralised EU system, the Shared Trader Interface (STI). The primary objective of ICS2 is to enhance the safety, security, and supervision of goods entering the EU.

Additional information will need to be provided within the ENS:
• Consignor details
• Buyer and Seller details
• Harmonised System (HS) Code(s)

The implementation date for ICS2 is 2 December 2024.

Import Control System 2 (ICS2)

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For more detailed information on the changes and how they may affect your operations, please read the document to get the full update.

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Please see document below for screenshots and explanations on the changes that are being made to the ENS due to the implementation of ICS2. These changes are due to be implemented on 2 December 2024, and all data must be provided for sailings to the Netherlands after that.

Changes to ENS due to ICS2

(443KB)

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Downloadable templates

There is a possibility to upload a large number of goods items per consignment via CSV file. Please find csv-files below that are ready to use.

When filling in the data, please keep the following in mind:

The file must use either commas or semicolons as delimiters; they cannot be mixed.

The file must always contain the following 7 headers:
NoOfPackages;PackageType;HsCode;GoodsDescription;GrossWeight;HazardousGoods;UnNumber

Each row must contain exactly 7 fields. A field can be empty as long as the number of delimiters (comma or semicolon) in a row is correct.

If a file uses semicolons as delimiters but a field contains semicolons, then that field must be enclosed in quotation marks like this:
5;CT;010121;“A field; using; semicolons”;500;true;1234

The same applies to a file using commas as delimiters.

Package type: in uppercase.

Goods description: maximum of 256 characters.

Gross weight: minimum of 1 kg, no decimals allowed.

HS code: maximum of 6 digits.

Only fill in data in the correct columns.

ICS2 Goods details comma

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ICS2 Goods details semicolon

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Questions?

For additional details about ICS2 and its contents, please visit the European Commission and Portbase.

Feel free to reach out to our customs support department for any additional inquiries related to this topic. We are committed to providing the best possible answers to your questions.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +31 (0) 174 315 858