Publishing window for companies to move to the 2 ICS2 control system (EU) initiative to enhance commercial security across the border by requesting customs advertisements before entering the goods into the European Union.
Soon, for air charges, the pre -loading advertisement must be submitted before loading the goods on the plane. For all other transportation situations, including marine shipments, roads, railways and postal, it is necessary to announce before arrival before the goods reach the borders of the European Union. ICS2 is designed to improve risk evaluation and prevent illegal charges from entering the European Union territory.
“For e-commerce, this procedure is crucial. In 2024, about 4.6 billion low-value shipments (at 150 euros or less) entered the European Union market, equivalent to about 12 million parcels per day and double the size of the previous year,” Tujal Says. ” B2C imported in the European Union from the third countries.
“This rapid increase has made it difficult for customs authorities effectively examining shipments. ICS2 treats this by imposing strict data requirements, ensuring transparency, and allowing customs to process charges more efficiently.”
Safety of e -commerce shipments
With the growth of the volume of e -commerce imports, ICS2 will be a data -based enforcement mechanism, ensuring the announcement of all imports accurately, examining them with compliance risks, and treating them efficiently before entering the European Union.
ICS2 enhances the transparency of the supply chain by providing organized data that enables the customs authorities to make risk assessments before the goods leave their country of origin. This approach allows compatible charges to move efficiently while ensuring high -risk charges in the necessary scrutiny.
“In order to perceive its potential, ICS2 must be applied constantly through all transportation and member states. If implementation remains fragmented, some entry points will become weak links, which affects the overall effectiveness of the system,” he explained. “Ensuring the entire and united enforcement will enable ICS2 to improve commercial security, reduce disturbances, and create a more predictor’s import process.”
ENS function
Announcement of entry summary (ENS) is the initial customs deposit required for all goods that enter the European Union, which makes it a mandatory step for e -commerce shipments as well as other types of shipping. ENS contains basic details, including transportation information and expulsion data such as buyer, seller and product descriptions.
Within previous customs work frameworks, this level of detailed data for large -scale e -commerce shipments was almost impossible. ICS2 provides an organized approach that allows the actors in the various supply chain to contribute to parts of each of ENS. Airlines, mail operators, and explicit paws are usually responsible for providing transportation details, while data at the parcel level can be provided by shipping agents or customs intermediaries, or in some cases, e -commerce markets or importers, usually referred to as home filters.
ICS2 integrates these inputs, ensuring compliance while simplifying the customs process. A mixture of home candidates who provide the parcel level details and airlines that provide flight level data lead to a full ENS file. While technical coordination between these actors is necessary, the industry has already established clear practices to ensure that each party in turn fulfills efficiently. Airlines managed to determine the date of home candidates to submit part of the ENS and move forward in deposit at the desired level level accordingly. This approach has now become a recognized standard throughout the industry, as stakeholders agree with their responsibilities to ensure smooth and compatible customs operations.
“This improved system strengthens customs risk assessment, improves the supply chain safety, and ensures that e -commerce shipments are completely compatible with the European Union import regulations. With ICS2, customs authorities gain a greater vision of shipments before their arrival, allowing more effective treatment and support for the continuous growth of cross -border trade.”
Companies barriers
It is expected that the basic challenge companies will face when compliance with the ICS2 requirements managing high shipping sizes while ensuring accuracy of data in line with the requirements of the European Union level. Large e -commerce companies deals with tens of thousands of parcels daily, making manual presentation impractical. Automation is necessary, but the requirements and complexity of integration with logistical service providers and customs systems differ between different regions.
Another challenge is inconsistent enforcement through the European Union member states. Fast Saudis and postal operators often fight and create smaller charging with compliance, which leads to disturbances and delay for companies that depend on multiple charging channels.
In addition, the accuracy of the data remains a continuous problem. Many companies face difficulties in maintaining the descriptions of consistent products and HS symbols, which can lead to the wrong, sanctions and delay of customs.
“Starting from April 1 this year, the European Union will provide stricter requirements for describing goods and trading details in customs advertisements,” the most prominent Paanukoski.
“ENS files may now be rejected if the description of the product or the name of the trader and its address is very mysterious or very inaccurate. Terms such as“ consumer goods ”and“ according to the attached bill ”,“ accessories ”, or“ household goods ”will not be automatic.
“The most stringent controls emphasize the need for accurate and organized data to avoid delaying shipping, additional compliance costs, and penalties. Companies must ensure their consensus with these updated standards, which enhances the importance of automation and strong data management systems in the advanced customs scene.”
Divided implementation
The current lack of uniform enforcement weakens the ICS2 ability to provide its intended benefits, which leads to security gaps, unfair competition, and logistical inefficiency. Compliance companies in compliance face a competitive defect when others can work under a weaker application in some European Union entry points.
From a operating perspective, fragmented implementation disrupts commercial competence and fairness throughout the European Union. Companies must adapt to various customs procedures in each member state, which leads to delay, unexpected compliance costs, and higher administrative burdens. This inability to predict makes it difficult for companies to plan their supply chains effectively and increase the costs of companies and consumers.
“The most important danger is commercial security. When some European Union countries are implemented accurately while others apply the minimum audit, illegal and illegal charges can still enter through weaker entry points. Once within the European Union, these goods move freely across the unified market, making it difficult to follow later.”
“ICS2 is designed to update customs operations and promotes commercial security, but its success depends on a full and consistent application in all European Union member states.”
Wider effects
ICS2 is part of a larger transformation towards customs security before its arrival and regulating digital trade. Similar roads are adopted in other major markets, including the United States and the United Kingdom, reflecting a global trend towards customs control and the transparency of the supply chain.
If the European Union guarantees the enforcement of ICS2 constantly, it will create a more predictable customs process and facilitate legitimate trade while allowing customs authorities to focus the resources that are intensified. This would improve efficiency, security and trade flow throughout the region.
However, if ICS2 is not uniformly applied across the European Union member states, the European Union risks backwardness in commercial competitiveness. It creates an inconsistent application of imbalances between regions and countries, which leads to uncertainty for companies. The companies that have already invested in compliance need certainty and level playing, and without that, they may face operational contradictions depending on the country of entry.
“Given that customs regulations around the world become more dependent on data, companies that invest in automation and compliance technology will be better in their position to adapt to advanced trade requirements and ensure smooth border operations,” said Pimintil.
Implementation implementation
Companies must now behave instead of waiting for full enforcement to create disturbances. Controlly compliance is the best strategy to avoid delay, penalties and operational risks. Investing in automation and reliable customs compliance solutions will be necessary to ensure a smooth cross -border trade in the advanced organizational scene.
At the same time, companies must deal with policy makers and stakeholders in the industry to ensure a fixed and practical application through the European Union. ICS2 can only succeed if it is applied uniformly, ensuring that companies that work in a non -favorable position due to the gaps in implementation are not placed.
The organizational framework exists, and companies must now prepare to stay in the foreground. It is time for the European Union to ensure the implementation of ICS2 completely, providing clarity, efficiency and safe basis for the future of trade.
“Feeport’s X7Trade Platforms is designed to help companies move in the complications of ICS2 compliance and customs clearance of e -commerce,” Pimentel continued. “As a neutral solution, based on the cloud, X7Trade automates the introduction of the Input Summary Declaration (ENS), verifying the validity of customs data, monitoring compliance, and ensuring that companies meet the ICS2 requirements efficiently and without disruption.
“By detecting errors in an actual time and integrating them smoothly with logistical workflow, X7Trade enables companies to reduce delay and avoid compliance risks.
