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Come September 1, a new set of Customs rules will come into effect at the transhipment hub of Singapore. Under a revised “free trade zone (FTZ) regime that was implemented in March 2024, advanced or pre-filing of export/import/transhipment cargo information will be required.

The FTZ regulations require cargo interests to submit import cargo information on long-haul trades 12 hours prior to each vessel’s arrival at berth in Singapore Port and for short-haul trades, this requirement must be done not later than the vessel’s departure from the port.

For export cargo, submissions will need to be filed within 24 hours after the vessel’s departure from the port.

Non-compliance would mean significant penalty and other implications for ship agents, which ultimately trickle down to the cargo owners. As per a customer advisory issued by Hapag Lloyd, “Singapore Customs will review the cases of missing, late, or inaccurate submission of B/L (bill of lading) data on a case-to-case basis, to determine the reasons for non-compliance and the appropriate penalty to be imposed.”