UAE to fully enforce Maritime Pre-load Cargo Information rules from October

Friday, 25 September 2026 09:58 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The United Arab Emirates will begin full enforcement of its Maritime Pre-load Cargo Information (MPCI) programme on 1 October 2026.

The industry transition period ends on 30 September, after which shipments will be required to comply fully with the UAE National Advance Information Center (NAIC) requirements.

Hapag-Lloyd has reminded customers that missing, incomplete or inaccurate shipment information could result in Do Not Load (DNL) instructions, cargo holds, loading restrictions or regulatory penalties.

Customers must include the relevant MPCI Code or Party ID when submitting Shipping Instructions.

The Party ID is issued to registered economic operators, including shipping lines, freight forwarders and agents.

Companies without a code must complete a one-time registration through the NAIC portal.

For direct or non-consolidated Bills of Lading, a six-digit HS Code is mandatory.

Shipping documentation must also contain the full names and addresses of the shipper, consignee and notify party.

Accurate container and seal numbers are required, together with a clear and specific description of the cargo.

Freight forwarders and NVOCCs issuing House Bills of Lading must complete their HBL filings at least 24 hours before loading at the last foreign port before the UAE.

The Hapag-Lloyd Master Bill of Lading number must be included as the parent bill in the HBL filing.

The filing must also reach Assessment Complete (AC) status.

If the required HBL filing is missing, the Master Bill of Lading may remain in Pending Sub-Filing (PSF) status.

As a result, the associated container may not receive approval for loading.

Full enforcement of the MPCI requirements begins on 1 October.