Port Community System availability

In the week of 22 February, the Port Community System was interrupted on several occasions. We would like to offer our sincere apologies in the event that you were inconvenienced in any way.

A special team has now been established within Portbase in order to track down the cause of the malfunction and to find a structural solution. In addition, together with the container terminals, we are considering alternative solutions to ensure that – should the operation of the Port Community System be unexpectedly interrupted or delayed – the drop off and pick up of containers will still continue as smoothly as possible. As a general rule: the earlier you pre-notify your containers, the better.

Consultation with TLN
On 15 March, Portbase will be conducting talks with “Transport en Logistiek Nederland” (TLN) and a delegation of road hauliers. Pre-notification is a key topic on the agenda for this consultation. If you personally experience any bottlenecks in the pre-notification process, please report them to TLN via e-mail wvdheuvel@tln.nl, and be sure to c/c alliantie@tln.nl. These reported issues will be discussed in the course of the meeting.

Procedure for Customs documents via Rotterdam

So just what is the procedure for Customs documents for containers entering or leaving through Rotterdam? What can, or must, be submitted electronically in advance using Portbase? At which terminals does this apply? And when is a paper Customs form still required? These four convenient diagrams lay it all out, quickly and clearly, so you always know what to do. View and/or download them now:
• Document flows Notification Import Documentation APMT MVll, APMTR, RWG
• Document flows Notification Import Documentation BCW, ECT Delta, Euromax, Uniport
• Document flows Notification Export Documentation APMT MVll, RWG
• Document flows Notification Export Documentation APMTR, ECT Delta, Euromax, RST, Uniport

Information meetings about Vessel Notification 2.0 market launch

Portbase is kicking-off the market launch of Vessel Notification 2.0 with information meetings on 19 January in Amsterdam and on 20 January in Rotterdam. With this updated service, ship agencies and shipbrokers will soon be able to make their vessel notifications to the Harbourmaster and Customs in a new, user-friendly way. Thanks in no small measure to the efforts of a working group drawn from the business community, Vessel Notification 2.0 is entirely geared to daily practice. Moreover, the updated service is ready for the new ISPS regulations (International Ship & Port Facility Code).

At the information meetings, the notification process for the Harbourmasters of Amsterdam and Rotterdam now and in the future will be explained to the companies attending. Afterwards, Portbase will demonstrate how the new service Vessel Notification 2.0 works. We will also provide information about the compulsory e-learning. To ensure a smooth transition, all employees of companies that will be working with Vessel Notification 2.0 must first take a short online course of 15 minutes. Login information for this training will be provided after the information sessions. As soon as everyone has successfully completed the course, the shipping company/shipbroker/agent in question will be awarded a certificate. Within a few weeks, Portbase will then switch the company over to Vessel Notification 2.0.

The updated service will first come on stream for the ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam. At a later stage, the other ports will also be connected.

On the road to smart data-sharing with the hinterland

In the future, Portbase wants to enable integrated planning across logistic chains far more than is currently the case. There are still significant steps that need to be taken to this end with respect to the hinterland. This prompted us to recently hold discussions with inland operators, inland terminals, forwarders and shippers in order to exchange views about their ideas and requirements regarding data-sharing and linkages with the maritime front-end.

Portbase is using the input obtained in this way to draw up a more detailed strategy. In addition, several prototypes are being developed that render the added value of smart data-sharing with the hinterland visible.

Tips for proper use of Road Planning at APM Terminals MVII and RWG

Like other road hauliers, no doubt you are increasingly required to drop off and pick up containers at APM Terminals MVII and RWG. As you know, pre-notifying using the service Road Planning is compulsory. We notice that this is not always going smoothly. We tackle any issues which arise together with both new terminals straight away. You can also help to make every visit take place smoothly:

Only green means go
Only when all the statuses in the service Road Planning are shown green can the driver come to APM Terminals MVII and RWG. There is no point leaving sooner. Neither terminal has a desk for resolving problems on location. Avoid unnecessary journeys – only when all statuses are green, you are good to go.

Stick to the time slot
For each pre-notification for the two new container terminals, you will receive a time slot with an accompanying TAR code. Make sure your driver is aware of both. He can only visit the terminal within the time frame stated in the pre-notification (including the applicable margins). Futhermore, your driver will need the TAR code to gain access to the terminal site.

Reserve extra time for the first visit
For the first visit to both APM Terminals MVII and to RWG, the driver must have the biometric details of his left middle finger (finger vein) recorded on the CargoCard on arrival. He must also watch an instruction video on safe working. Reserve enough time for this so that your time slot is not jeopardized.

At Portbase, we have frequent contact with APM Terminals MVII and RWG about the operation of the service Road Planning. In partnership with the terminals, we strive to resolve any issues which arise as completely and as quickly as possible. Naturally we are also fully focused on the optimum operation of the service at the other participating terminals in the port.

A warning to prevent mismatches

Our service Transit Declaration is used when preparing T-documents for transport to the hinterland. A convenient feature of this service is that it will automatically show a warning if an additional sea in / sea out process (code 27) is attached to your shipment. You can then request the shipping company to correct the error. This prevents mismatches at Customs.

It has come to our attention, together with Customs, that shipping companies and shipbrokers sometimes mistakenly link the Customs process sea in / sea out to a container when submitting their Summary Declaration, even though that particular container has an inland destination. We have since issued a separate Portbase Flash to provide these parties with additional clarification. In the event that a sea in / sea out process has been linked to your inland-bound container, the service Transit Declaration will alert you immediately and you will know how to proceed.

Handling transshipment correctly – code 27 will remain necessary

It has come to our attention, together with Customs, that not all shipping companies and shipbrokers are using the Customs process sea in / sea out (code 27) when submitting their Summary Declaration for transshipment cargo. However, this code is still necessary! Only when you use code 27 will the Port Community System recognise the transshipment cargo. The appropriate B/L will then be automatically transferred to the outgoing manifest and cleared by Customs.

The confusion regarding the use of the sea in / sea out process probably stems from the fact that since late 2014, Customs has used a different method for clearing transshipment cargoes. Whereas clearance was previously a direct result of the sea in / sea out process, it is now based on the outgoing manifest. When this outgoing manifest includes containers that are listed in the incoming Summary Declaration with the sea in / sea out process, the cargo is cleared from the Summary Declaration by Customs.

For this reason, it is essential that you or your representative include the sea in / sea out process in the Summary Declaration. Only then will the appropriate B/Ls from the Summary declaration be relayed to the outgoing manifest in the Port Community System.

Longer than 14 days at the terminal?
If your transshipment cargo will be at the terminal for a period longer than 14 days but shorter than 45 days, a supplementary Exit Summary Declaration (EXS declaration) will be necessary for departure. Portbase offers the service Exit Summary Declaration for this purpose. The optimal reuse of data makes it simple to comply with this Customs requirement. For transshipment cargoes that remain at the terminal longer than 45 days, you will be required to create a storage document. If after 45 days the goods then depart by sea, the depot document must be discharged by means of a re-export declaration.

Transshipment via a different terminal?
Will a transshipment container be departing from a terminal other than the one it arrived? A transport document (T-document) is required for the intermediate journey. This T-document will be used to clear the B/L from the Summary Declaration. The sea in / sea out process for the B/L listed in the Summary Declaration will no longer be valid and must be deleted from it. If this is not taken care of, a mismatch will occur. When you use the Portbase service Transit Declaration to prepare your T-documents, you will automatically be issued a warning when an additional sea in / sea out process is linked to one of your shipments.

Forwarders Positive about Portbase

Nearly three-quarters of forwarders consider Portbase to be very important to the digital infrastructure of the Dutch ports. This was one of the results of a major market survey recently conducted among its members by FENEX, the industry body for forwarders and logistic service providers in the Netherlands. The results of the survey were published in the 2015 Business Survey (Stemmingsbarometer) and provide a good picture of current market expectations and developments in the forwarding sector.

According to 79 percent of firms with sea port activities, the Port Community System is explicitly contributing to an increase in cargo at the Dutch ports. In a previous survey in 2012, only 61 percent held that view. Of the Portbase services, Cargo Information 2.0 and Notification Export Documentation in particular were highly rated. The latter is the service most used by the forwarders, along with the service Notification Import Documentation. The services Discharge Information for the bulk sector, Declaration Food and Consumer Products and Notification Local Clearance are less popular. Over half of companies do not (yet) make use of these.

FENEX says the results of the 2015 Business Survey come as no surprise. Says FENEX policy adviser for sea port logistics, Robin van Leijen, ’With the increasing scale in liner shipping, the importance of efficient land-side handling has only increased. Portbase and the Port Community System have a crucial role to play in that. In recent years, FENEX and Portbase have worked together closely to develop new services, including Cargo Information 2.0. As a trade organisation for forwarders, we look forward to continuing this collaboration.’

Service Notification Local Clearance soon available via a System Link

An EDI version of the Portbase service Notification Local Clearance will shortly be made available. Two companies have registered for a pilot. Thanks to a system link with Portbase, they can send the local clearance notifications to Customs directly from their own computer systems. This allows them to work even more efficiently.

They no longer need to log in on the Web, and manual data entry will become a thing of the past. As soon as it seems the pilot with the service Notification Local Clearance EDI has proven successful, other parties will also be allowed to start connecting. The service Notification Local Clearance makes it even easier for companies to take advantage of simplified customs procedures to enable the free movement of goods arriving from overseas under the DIN regulation (local clearance entry) or DEN regulation (local clearance via a bonded warehouse).