Definition of cargo reporter
A cargo reporter is defined, in relation to a ship or aircraft and in relation to a particular voyage or flight, as one of the following:
- the operator or charterer of the ship or aircraft
- a slot charter in respect of the ship
- a freight forwarder in respect of the ship or aircraft.
The Cargo Reporter must identify themselves as a cargo reporter in the Integrated Cargo (ICS) before making their first cargo report.
The Cargo Reporter identifies themselves as the ‘Responsible Party’ on the Cargo Report. If the bureau submits the cargo report, please refer to Australian Customs Cargo Advice 2007-27 for reporting requirements.
The operator of a ship or aircraft on a voyage or flight to Australia from outside Australia, must report the entity that will:
- unload cargo from a vessel, or
- first receive cargo from an aircraft.
This will be either the:
- the Cargo Terminal Operator (CTO) or stevedore, for a ship, or
- the depot operator for an aircraft.
The operator must report this electronically. They must lodge it within the same timeframes as the impending arrival report.
This is a requirement of Section 64AAC of the Customs Act.
Air Cargo Report and Sea Cargo Report
The Customs Act 1901 requires cargo reporters to report the details of all goods they have arranged to be carried to Australia on either the
Air Cargo Report (ACR) or the Sea Cargo Report (SCR), that are intended to be:
- unloaded from the vessel or aircraft at a port or airport in Australia; or
- kept on board the vessel or aircraft for shipment to a place outside of Australia (‘in-transit’).
This rule does not apply to:
- accompanied personal items and baggage of passengers and crew
- ship or aircraft stores and
- domestic cargo.
A separate cargo report is generally required for each individual consignment. Cargo Reporters under the Australian Trusted Trader program can lodge a one cargo report for consignments from multiple suppliers that are:
- consolidated overseas, and
- shipped to a single Trusted Trader importer.
You can find more information about this benefit in the
Australian Customs Notice (ACN) No. 2020/22.
Information in a cargo report helps us to:
- achieve cargo control
- Identify and respond to risks at the border and
- make sure that required duties and taxes are paid before the release of cargo.
Incomplete cargo reports can delays the release of the cargo from customs control.
For help on how to make a cargo report in the ICS, please see
Integrated Cargo System (ICS).
Cargo List Report (CLR)
A
Cargo List Report (CLR) is used to report certain types of sea cargo including:
- non-international or non-commercial sea cargo
- empty containers owned by the shipping company,
- cabotage (domestic freight carried between Australian ports aboard a vessel on an international voyage) and
- export cargo being moved before to export.
For more information on reporting containers, see
Australian Customs Cargo Notice 2012-11.
The CLR provides a list of cargo that will be offloaded from a ship. This cargo will not have an import declaration and is required to be released from Customs control.
Shipping companies must submit CLRs electronically through the ICS within the same timeframes as an SCR:
- the voyage is longer than 48 hours, at least 48 hours before the arrival at the first Australian port.
- the voyage is less than 48 hours, at least 24 hours prior to arrival in the first Australian port.
- the voyage is less than 24 hours, at least 12 hours before the arrival at the first Australian port.
For cargo loaded or moved within Australia (except for underbond cargo) submit ted the CLR:
- at least 48 hours before the estimated time of arrival at the first Australian port, and
- before arrival at every Australian port after that.
If travel to the next Australian port of call is less than 24 hours, submit the CLR before the estimated time of arrival of the ship.
The responsible party is a cargo reporter. A cargo reporter, their agent or a bureau may submit a CLR.
Outturn Reports
An Outturn Report is a report to the ABF that:
- accounts for cargo already reported on a sea or air cargo report
- accounts for cargo received at a Customs place that has not been reported before the arrival
- used for acquitting an approved cargo movement while the cargo is under Customs control.
The Outturn Report helps the ABF track the movement of cargo. It shows:
- when cargo arrives in Australia,
- Where cargo arrives,
- differences between reported cargo and actual cargo received.
Sea Cargo Outturn (SCO)
A
Sea Cargo Outturn (SCO) is a report made by a Cargo Terminal Operator (CTO) or stevedore. It provides information about non-containerised cargo such as bulk and break-bulk sea cargo unloaded (discharged) from a vessel.
CTOs must submit the SCO:
- within 05 days after discharge for non-containerised cargo and
- within 24 hours or by the next working day in other cases.
Containerised cargo discharged from a vessel is reported to the ABF on a
Progressive Discharge Report (PDR). Timeframes that apply are available on the
Cargo Reporting Compliance page.
Section 77G depot operator may also submit the SCO for cargo received or unpacked at their depot.
The timeframes that apply:
- Non-containerised cargo, unloaded from a ship at a wharf: within 5 days after the day on which the unloading of the cargo from the ship was completed
- Containerised cargo, moved ‘underbond’ and received at a Customs place, and unpacked: within 24 hours of the completion of the unpack
- Containerised cargo, moved ‘underbond’ and received at a Customs place, and not unpacked: within 24 hours of receipt into the Customs place
- Non-containerised cargo moved ‘underbond’ and received at a Customs place: the day after the day on which the person in charge of the Customs place recorded a receipt of the cargo at that place.
Air Cargo Outturn Report
An
Air Cargo Outturn Report (AWO) reports the details of air cargo unloaded from an aircraft. TheAWO:
- records the time cargo was received of
- confirms the actual arrival of cargo
- identifies of surplus or short-landed cargo
- damage and pillage.
In addition, the AWO report must:
- specify any goods included in the cargo report that were not unloaded (short landed)
- specify any goods not included in the cargo report that were unloaded (surplus) or
- state that there is no shortage or surplus cargo
The AWO also reports air cargo moved ‘underbond’ to a
section 77G depot and/or deconsolidated at the depot.
The different timeframes that apply are:
- Discharge of cargo: within 24 hours of the arrival of the aircraft by a Cargo Terminal Operator (CTO) providing information about cargo unloaded from an aircraft
- Cargo received in a Unit Load Device (ULD) that is not unpacked at a Customs place: within 24 hours of receipt at the Customs place
- Cargo received in a ULD that is unpacked at the depot: within 24 hours of completion of the unpack
- All other cargo received at a depot: the day after the cargo was received at the Customs place.
A bureau may submit the Outturn Report on behalf of the CTO or stevedore.
