ENS, or Entry Summary Declaration, is mandated by EU customs for security assessments of cargo entering EU ports, requiring carriers to file declarations 24 hours prior to loading. Carriers incur costs for ENS filing due to necessary IT systems and processes, which leads to the imposition of an ENS charge to cover these expenses. Understanding this charge is crucial for shippers to ensure that freight invoices reflect only legitimate costs.

1. What Is ENS and Why Is
There an ENS Charge?

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5. ENS is an acronym for ENtry Summary Declaration.
ENS is required by EU customs to do a security assessment of all
cargo entering EU ports
Carriers can use their discretion as to the quantum of the ENS
charge

6. • ENS is an acronym for ENtry Summary
Declaration.
• ENS is required by EU customs to do a
security assessment of all cargo entering
EU ports
• Carriers can use their discretion as to the
quantum of the ENS charge
A freight quote is typically
a combination of
multimodal costs covering
sea-freight, surcharges,
fees and various
adjustment factors.

7. If you examine a freight
quote, you might notice that
one of the applicable
charges is an ENS charge
especially if you are
shipping cargo to Europe.
What is this charge for?

8. What is ENS?
ENS is an acronym for ENtry Summary
Declaration.

9. As of 31st December 2010, through the implementation of EU
Regulation 1875/2006, the European Union made it mandatory
for all carriers to file an ENS declaration for cargo inbound into EU
ports.

10. The carriers need to file
this ENS declaration with
EU customs. This
declaration covers all the
cargoes that are
scheduled to be loaded
on any particular ship
that is calling at the EU
ports.
The ENS is required by
the EU customs to do a
proper security
assessment of the cargo
that is entering EU ports.
Much like the AMS filing
for the USA.

11. The ENS may also be
filed by a freight
forwarder, for example,
but this may only be
done with the approval
of the carrier. The
forwarder would then
take responsibility for
the correctness and
accuracy of the ENS
submitted.
The ENS must be filed
24 hours before the
container is loaded at
the port.

12. Process of ENS filing

13. The general process of filing is
· customer provides all information
relating to the cargo to the shipping
line in their format
· the shipping line then updates all
this information into their system for
filing with EU customs
· the completed information is
submitted to EU customs

14. The carrier then has to wait for the response from EU customs
which is fairly quick. If the response from EU customs is negative
and the cargo is rejected for any reason, the carrier will receive a
DNL (Do Not Load) message from EU customs.
This means that particular container(s) cannot be loaded on
board that particular ship. But the carrier may resubmit the ENS
with any changes that may be required for loading on the next
vessel.

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16. Process of
Non-compliance of
ENS filing

17. While there is no clear-cut decision
or information relating to
non-compliance, the
implementation of the ENS is left to
the members of the EU.
Non-compliance of ENS filing can
result in carriers not loading the
blocked containers on board and if
these are large in number, it could
also affect the operation of the
vessel.

18. Why is there an ENS
charge?

19. A lot of the carriers have special desks only to handle ENS filing.
Carriers also need to be capable of transmitting all the above
information electronically to EU Customs.
Carriers have also invested sufficiently in IT systems capable of
translating and transmitting the required information and also
receiving the response messages from EU customs.
As these requirements have had a considerable cost impact on
the carriers, they levy an ENS charge to cover these costs and
ensure that all the containers that are required to be loaded on
the ship are cleared by EU customs for loading.

20. Conclusion

21. • ENS is an acronym for ENtry Summary
Declaration.
• ENS is required by EU customs to do a
security assessment of all cargo entering
EU ports
• Carriers can use their discretion as to the
quantum of the ENS charge
It is in the best interest of the
shipper and forwarder to ensure
that they understand the anatomy
of a freight invoice and ensure that
only legitimate charges are included
in the invoice. For example, if there
is an ENS charge shown in a
shipment from China to the USA,
this should not be allowed.