Japan Customs Regulation of Advance Filing Rules (AFR)

Starting March 2014, Japan will applying the "Advance Filing Rules (AFR)", which require a vessel operator or a NVOCC to electronically submit to JAPAN Customs information on maritime container cargoes to be loaded on a vessel intended to entry into a port in Japan, in principle no later than 24 hours before departure of the vessel from a port of loading

This is  new rule in Japan that the Origin/Export side as POL must input all of data of shipment 24 hour advance upon shipping out and Export side (POL) must input the all data also HS CODE 6 digits (listed by Japanese Customs) prior the vessel sail through NACCS system but this systems is only allowed by SP (Service Provider) network for Japan Advance Filing Rules authorized by NACCS center to connect directly to NACCS.

If you fail to input the data before 24 hour upon departure, then, consignee can not get the container smoothly and might cause lots of penalty even not able to unload the container.

*The Rules will be implemented in March 2014.