Logistics & transporten
Cargo manifest
Summary document listing all goods carried by a vessel, aircraft, or vehicle, used for customs controls and freight management.
Definition
A cargo manifest is a document summarising all goods loaded on board a means of transport (vessel, aircraft, truck). It provides an overview of the cargo and serves as the basis for customs controls on arrival.
Content
The manifest typically includes:
- Identification of the means of transport (vessel name, flight number, registration)
- Ports/airports of loading and discharge
- For each shipment: B/L or AWB number, shipper, consignee, number of packages, gross weight, goods description
- Container marks and numbers
Customs use
In the EU, the cargo manifest is linked to the Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) process and the ICS2 system. The carrier must transmit manifest data to customs authorities before arrival of the means of transport, within regulatory deadlines.
Electronic manifest
Digitalisation of manifests is progressing:
- Maritime eManifest: integrated into Maritime Single Window systems (Directive 2010/65/EU, replaced by Regulation (EU) 2019/1239 — EMSWe)
- IATA eFreight: air freight digitalisation programme
Practical points
- Discrepancies between the manifest and actual cargo (shortages, overages) must be reported and may result in customs penalties
- The manifest is a key document for transport insurance in case of loss
- It serves as the basis for port billing (THC, handling)