Regional Container Lines (RCL) has announced a new Advance Filing Surcharge tied to the United Arab Emirates' Maritime Preload Cargo Information (MPCI) programme. The charge is meant to cover the cost of preparing and submitting cargo manifest data to UAE Customs ahead of vessel departure, and it takes effect for sailings departing origin from 16 October 2026.

What Is the MPCI Programme?

The MPCI programme, also referred to as the Advance Manifest Filing requirement, is a UAE Customs regulation that requires carriers to electronically submit import cargo manifest data before a vessel leaves its last foreign port bound for the UAE. The rule is designed to give UAE authorities visibility into cargo contents and origin before ships arrive, allowing earlier risk screening and customs processing.

Which Shipments Are Covered?

RCL says the filing requirement applies broadly to containerized maritime cargo moving through UAE ports. This includes local imports that will be cleared in the UAE, transshipment cargo that is discharged in the UAE before continuing to another destination, and transit or Freight Remaining on Board (FROB) cargo that passes through UAE ports without being unloaded. In short, almost any container touching a UAE port in some capacity falls under the rule, regardless of whether the UAE is the final destination.

New Shipping Instruction Deadline

To meet the filing requirement, RCL is asking customers to submit complete and accurate Shipping Instructions or draft Bills of Lading no later than 48 hours before the vessel's estimated arrival at the port of loading. This is earlier than many shippers may be used to, and RCL has been direct about the consequences of missing it: cargo that is not properly documented in time risks being rolled to a later sailing, or receiving a Do Not Load instruction directly from UAE Customs. Either outcome means delays and potential disruption to supply chain planning.

The Surcharge Details

The Advance Filing Surcharge itself is relatively modest in size but broad in application. RCL will charge USD 17 per Bill of Lading, applied under charge code 42910, and it covers import, transshipment, transit, and FROB cargo alike. The fee is meant to offset the administrative work of preparing, processing, and electronically transmitting the manifest information required by UAE Customs. The surcharge applies based on the vessel's departure date at the origin port, meaning any cargo departing on or after 16 October 2026 will be subject to the charge.

What This Means for Shippers

For shippers and forwarders moving cargo into, through, or via the UAE, the most immediate change to plan for is documentation timing rather than cost. A $17 per bill of lading charge is small relative to overall freight costs, but the 48-hour Shipping Instruction deadline before loading is a harder operational constraint. Cargo owners booking on RCL services touching UAE ports should build in extra lead time for finalizing Shipping Instructions or draft Bills of Lading, since late or incomplete submissions can result in rolled cargo or a Do Not Load order from customs, both of which disrupt transit schedules and downstream logistics. Because the rule applies not just to UAE-bound imports but also to transshipment and transit cargo passing through UAE ports, shippers using the UAE as a transshipment hub should review their bookings carefully, even if the UAE is not the final destination. As with other advance filing surcharges introduced by carriers in response to regulatory requirements elsewhere, shippers should expect this charge to appear as a standard line item going forward and should factor the documentation deadline into their shipment tracking and booking workflows.

Sources: container-news.com