Korean Customs Resets Launch Date for its Own Advance Manifest System
The South Korean Customs Service (KCS) has reset the launch date for its Advance Manifest System (AMS) to spring/summer 2012. Although the KCS Web site states that its AMS would be launched on December 1, 2011, a number of major carriers indicate that AMS has been postponed until April 1, 2012 for air/ocean exports from Korea and June 1, 2012 for air imports to Korea (some sources indicate this date also applies to ocean imports to Korea, some do not)1. Highlights of AMS guidelines issued by Korean Customs in September 2011 include:
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General principles. The general principles of its AMS are:
- Ocean and air carriers should comply with timeline of manifest submission, and should complete and submit manifest which should exactly correspond to the list of cargo on board.
- Manifest should be submitted in compliance with required items, specification and instructions stipulated in the “Message Implementation Guide” issued by the KCS, and also, ocean and air carriers, in cooperation with forwarders, should be careful not to have any discrepancies in the contents of submitted manifest.
- In case cargo on board is found to be not the same as cargo requested for transportation or is identified as prohibited item for export or import according to the Customs Law, carriers should report promptly the irregularity to customs collector
Who must submit manifests: Persons obliged to submit manifests under AMS are as follows:
- Ocean and air carriers are obliged to submit manifests for export and import cargo, and are legally responsible for any breach of submission deadlines as well as the content, accuracy and completeness of submitted data. Local freight forwarders take responsibility of compiling and correcting export House B/L data as an entity in charge of compiling consolidated cargo manifests.
- With regard to consolidated cargo, carriers should collect and compile House B/L data from freight forwarders (including those who handle consolidated cargo in the country of exportation) and submit it after final verification to the KCS in accordance with the “Message Implementation Guide”.
- Carriers can entrust the task of manifest compiling and submission to message broker as authorized by the KCS according to the Article 327-3 of the Customs Law.
Timelines. Based on the WCO SAFE Framework and in consideration of special circumstance of short-flight or short-sea-shipping and capability of concerned logistics entities, due date of submission defined by the KCS is as following:
| SEA -- Import | (Principle) At least 24 hours before commencement of loading at the port of loading. (Short sea shipping) Before departure at the port of loading (Bulk) At least 4 hours before arrival at the port of entry |
| SEA -- Export | (Principle) At least 24 hours before commencement of loading (Short sea shipping) Prior to loading, 30 minutes before departure (Bulk, Transit cargo) Before departure |
| AIR -- Import | (Principle) At least 4 hours before arrival (Short haul)Before departure at the airport of loading (more specifically, at time of “wheels up” of aircraft) (Express Cargo) At least 1 hour before arrival |
| AIR -- Export | Prior to loading, 30 minutes before departure |
According to KCS, “wheels up” is the moment when an airplane’s wheels reach its body after takeoff. The scope of short-haul-flight areas is limited to China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, and far-Eastern Russia. In case of export sea cargo, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore are also regarded as short-sea-shipping areas.
Do-Not-Load notifications. Korean Customs states that Do-Not-Load (DNL) notification may be issued by Customs against such cargo that is considered risky for security purpose by the KCS. (DNL notification applies only to deep-sea containerized shipments for which manifest should be submitted at least 24 hours prior to loading.)
1Note that various sources have reported a various implementation dates. ITT will update subscribers as new information is available.
Korean Customs’ AMS notice and guidelines available by emailing documents@brokerpower.com.