Regional Container Lines (RCL) will charge US$17 per bill of lading from 16 October 2026. The fee covers the United Arab Emirates' advance manifest requirement, according to a carrier notice reported by Container News on 21 October1.
The charge, listed under code 42910, applies to local imports, transshipment cargo, transit cargo and freight remaining on board (FROB) cargo. FROB is cargo that passes through a UAE port without discharge1. RCL bills it by the vessel's departure date at origin. It said the fee covers preparing, processing and sending the shipment data electronically1.
What the UAE rule requires
The programme is called Maritime Preload Cargo Information, or MPCI. It requires shipping lines to send import manifest data to UAE Customs electronically before a vessel leaves its last foreign port1. It covers containerised cargo entering or passing through the UAE, including boxes discharged there for onward connection1. Filings run through the UAE's National Advance Information Center2.
The filing duty is not new. It has been in effect since 1 August 2025, and a Trade Tech survey of nearly 400 logistics professionals found half did not fully understand it4. Industry expected enforcement after the grace period then due to end on 31 March 20264. The transition period closed on 30 September 2026, and full enforcement began on 1 October 20262, 3. What is new this week is a carrier putting a price on the filing1. Hapag-Lloyd's September advisories set out the data rules and warned of loading bans; neither mentions a carrier surcharge2, 3.
For shippers, the deadline is the risk. RCL wants complete shipping instructions, or a draft bill of lading, at least 48 hours before the ship is due at the loading port1. Late or incomplete filings can get cargo rolled, or bring a Do Not Load instruction from UAE Customs1.
Who supplies the data
The carrier files the manifest, but the content comes from the shipper, forwarder or customs agent. Hapag-Lloyd told customers that the MPCI Code or Party ID must appear in shipping instructions. Firms without a code must register once through the NAIC portal2.
For direct, non-consolidated bills, a six-digit HS code is mandatory2. The filing also needs full names and addresses of shipper, consignee and notify party, accurate container and seal numbers, and a specific description of the goods2.
Forwarders and NVOCCs issuing house bills must file at least 24 hours before loading at the last foreign port before the UAE. The filing must name the carrier's master bill as the parent and reach Assessment Complete status. If it is missing, the master bill can sit in Pending Sub-Filing and the container may not be approved for loading2.
The exposure reaches India well beyond cargo cleared in Dubai. Jebel Ali is the busiest container port in the Middle East and a transshipment hub run by DP World5. The UAE is India's largest trading partner in West Asia and North Africa6. Goods routed through Jebel Ali to Africa, the Gulf or Central Asia fall inside the rule even when never cleared there1.
The paperwork lands on a lane already under strain. Berthing delays have lengthened at Fujairah and Khor Fakkan, and feeder capacity is stretched after attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, the Journal of Commerce reported on 19 October7. RCL is a feeder operator with 45 vessels and 60 service routes8.
What to do now
- Check that your shipping instructions carry an MPCI Party ID. If your firm has none, register once through the NAIC portal2.
- Work back from the vessel's arrival at the load port, not from Dubai. The cut-off is 48 hours before arrival there1.
- For direct bills, add a six-digit HS code, full names and addresses, container and seal numbers and a precise goods description2.
- Ask the forwarder whether the house bill is filed 24 hours before loading and has reached Assessment Complete2.
- Put the charge in the freight quote. If you book the ocean leg, expect it on your freight invoice. If your supplier books it, confirm whether it sits inside the all-in rate. Incoterms set who arranges and pays for carriage9.