No Movement Reference Number (MRN)-No Load Policy for the cargo transiting via European Union

07 Sep 2026

The European Commission confirms that economic operators bringing goods into, or transiting them through, the European Union must submit safety and security information through an Entry Summary Declaration in Import Control System 2 (ICS2).

To support compliance with the European Union’s ICS2 requirements and ensure the timely movement of your cargo, Maersk will implement a “No MRN, No Load” policy effective 30 September 2026.

The policy will apply to cargo requiring an ICS2 Entry Summary Declaration and moving to or transiting through the European Union. A valid Movement Reference Number must be received from the EU Customs system before the cargo can be confirmed for loading.

What is changing?

For vessels arriving at the applicable first load port on or after 30 September 2026:

• Cargo requiring an MRN must have a valid MRN before loading.
• If a valid MRN has not been obtained atleast 24 hours prior vessel arrival at the compliance load port, the cargo will be excluded from the load list and may be rolled to a subsequent vessel.
• Any rejected customs filing must be corrected and successfully accepted before the cargo can be considered compliant for loading.

Support required

Customers must submit complete and accurate Shipping Instructions, including all applicable master-level and house-level information, sufficiently in advance of the communicated documentation and customs deadlines.

To support smooth Customs processing and timely cargo loading, we have observed that some customers are not providing certain mandatory shipment details accurately when submitting their Shipping Instructions. Incorrect or incomplete information can lead to Customs validation failures, manifest rejections, and shipment delays. The guidelines below will help ensure accurate data submission, improve compliance, and safeguard your cargo from potential loading disruptions.

Provide a valid six-digit HS code

• Provide a valid six-digit Harmonised System code for every cargo item.
• The HS code must correspond to the actual commodity being shipped.
• Validate the HS code against the 2022 WCO Harmonized System classification before submitting the Shipping Instructions.
• You can validate HS codes through the WCO Trade Tools HS 2022 search portal

Clearly identify whether you are a BCO or freight forwarder

Customers submitting Shipping Instructions through EDI or the Inttra portal must clearly indicate whether they are acting as:

• BCO / Direct Customer, or
• Freight Forwarder

Missing customer-segment information may prevent the correct ICS2 filing flow from being selected. Customers using EDI or Inttra should include clear keywords identifying the applicable customer segment in their Shipping Instructions as shared in the guidelines Click here

Provide complete EORI information

• Provide the required EORI number of the next filing party who will be responsible to perform the partial filing with EU Customs.
• Confirm that the EORI is valid and active. EORI number can be validated on the EU Portal
• Check all characters carefully and avoid spaces, punctuation errors or incomplete numbers and all characters must be in CAPTIAL letters only.

Submit buyer, seller and House Bill parties in a structured format

Where buyer, seller or House Bill of Lading party information is required, provide each party in clearly separated and structured fields. At a minimum, ensure that the following details are complete and accurate:

• Name
• Street Address
• City, Country, Region
• Postal code

Provide meaningful and accurate cargo descriptions

Cargo descriptions section must contain the actual commodity name and details in the initial first 2 lines of the cargo description. The description must not contain only the restricted or general key words such as “Accessories”, “Apparel”, “Auto” these commodities needs to be detailed out completely.

e.g. Accessories must be detailed out - Bathroom fittings, Lighting and electrical accessories

Apparel must be detailed out – Men’s shirt, Jackets made of cotton

Should you have any urgent concerns or shipment specific queries, please contact your local customer service representative.

We appreciate your business and look forward to continuing our work together.