COSCO Shipping recently announced that according to the latest regulations of the Saudi Port Authority (Mawani), if the consignee or notifying party on the bill of lading is a local Saudi freight forwarder, the shipping company must obtain a copy of the freight forwarding license issued by the Saudi Public Transport Authority (PTA) for record keeping. Otherwise, the resulting fines or all other risks will be entirely borne by the customer, with a specific penalty of 50000 Saudi Riyals (SR50000) per ticket, equivalent to approximately $13500. This regulation will take effect immediately and will be strictly enforced for all goods imported into Saudi Arabia after June 27, 2019. During the transitional period before strict implementation of the regulations, relevant guarantees may be accepted as a substitute for a copy of the license. Starting from June 28th, COSCO Shipping will only accept goods from licensed freight forwarders.
▼ Announcement of COSCO Shipping Consolidation
Announcement Notice
Notice to Customers regarding the Requirements for Saudi Arabian Freight Forwarding License
Dear customer
According to the latest regulations of the Saudi Port Authority (Mawani), if the consignee or notifying party on the bill of lading is a local Saudi freight forwarder, the shipping company must obtain a copy of the freight forwarding license issued by the Saudi Public Transport Authority (PTA) for record keeping. Otherwise, the resulting fines or all other risks will be entirely borne by the customer, with a specific penalty of 50000 Saudi Riyals (SR50000) per ticket, equivalent to approximately $13500. This regulation will take effect immediately and will be strictly enforced for all goods imported into Saudi Arabia after June 27, 2019.
For goods imported into Saudi Arabia, the freight forwarder should present the freight forwarding license certificate to Alireza, the COSCO Ocean freight forwarder, when submitting the original bill of lading in exchange for the bill of lading. During the transitional period before strict implementation of the regulations, we can accept relevant guarantees in place of a copy of the license. Starting from June 28th, COSCO Shipping will only accept goods from licensed freight forwarders.
Please make sure to confirm and provide the relevant freight forwarding license certificate in advance when booking, to avoid fines and other related expenses that may arise from the inability to provide the freight forwarding license certificate after the goods arrive at the port, including but not limited to demurrage fees, storage fees, cargo handling fees, etc. The above fines and expenses will be borne by the customer themselves.
The following information is for your reference:
Example 1: License required
Consignee: BCO, Saudi Arabia
Notify Party: (1) BCO Saudi Arabia (2) Forwarder Saudi Arabia
Example 2: License required
Consignee: Forwarder, Saudi Arabia
Notify Party: Forwarder, Saudi Arabia
Example 3: License required
Consignee: To Order
Notify Party: Forwarder, Saudi Arabia
Please be aware of the above situation and arrange the transportation of your goods properly. If you need any assistance, please feel free to contact our local service agency.
COSCO Ocean freight consolidation
May 31, 2019
In fact, as early as March 20th, Emirates Shipping and May 17th, Ocean Network ONE issued similar notices:
On March 20th, Emirates Shipping released a notice
Announcement Notice
Saudi Arabia - Mandatory requirement to submit a permit to the Public Transport Authority
Dear customer,
According to Mawani's notice, the Saudi Port Authority stipulates in Article 26 that the consignee or notifying party on the bill of lading is the freight forwarder, and the shipping company must obtain a copy of the freight forwarding license issued by the Public Transport Authority (PTA) for record keeping.
Our Saudi Arabian office will not release any goods unless a valid permit is presented.
To ensure the smooth implementation of the new regulations, please make every effort to coordinate and ensure that a copy of the freight forwarding license issued by the Public Transport Authority (PTA) must be submitted to our Saudi Arabian office before the goods arrive. Otherwise, the customer shall be fully responsible for all fines or detention at the unloading port caused by this.
We look forward to your support and full compliance with the new regulatory requirements. If you have any inquiries, please contact our local agent and customer service department. Please visit our website www.emiratesline.com for more details.
Customer Service Management
Emirates Shipping
On May 17th, ONE released an announcement
Announcement Notice
Notice on Saudi Arabia's Consignee Must Hold a Freight Forwarding License
To: Dear customer/booking agents:
According to Article 26 of the Saudi Port Authority, all Saudi consignees or notifiers, if they are local freight forwarders, must obtain a freight forwarding license issued by the Public Transport Authority (PTA). Otherwise, the resulting fines or risk of customs clearance failure shall be borne by the customer.
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