Japan Customs gives the following advance notices in principle within 24 hours after receiving cargo information when necessary measures (e.g. suspending the discharge of cargo in Japan) should be taken if the cargo is identified as high risk from a Japanese security perspective, following risk analysis of the cargo information filed in the AFR. If, however, Japan Customs obtains new security intelligence, notice is sent even if 24 hours have elapsed since the filing. 

In case the situation (cause) of advance notice is resolved after the advance notice was sent, Japan Customs will cancel the advance notice promptly.

A. Code “DNL”

If the cargo is identified as high risk to Japan Customs 24 hours before loading of a cargo on a vessel, an advance notice is sent through NACCS with “DNL” code informing that the cargo is a high-risk cargo and cannot be brought into Japan.

B. Code “HLD”

If it is necessary to request further or revised information in order to complete the risk assessment of the cargo, an advance notice is sent through NACCS with “HLD” code and specific request details.

C. Code “DNU”

The advance notice of this code is sent in the following cases:

• If Japan Customs finds a cargo a security threat after the vessel leaves a port of loading, an advance notice is sent through NACCS with “DNU” code informing that discharge of the cargo at the entry into port in Japan is suspended.
• With regard to the cargo notified “HLD” in B above, if Japan Customs confirms that the vessel carrying the cargo has left the port of loading without cancellation of the advance notice with “HLD” code, discharge of the cargo must be suspended unless additional information is filed or the information is corrected in accordance with a request from Japan Customs by the time the vessel enters a port in Japan. The code “DNU” will be sent through NACCS with a notice that the status of the code has been switched and the discharge of the cargo will be suspended if a request is not complied.

D. Code “SPD”

This code of message is notified when the cargo information is not filed.

• Also, penal provisions could be applied. An operator must file the cargo information and cannot unload the cargo without the permission of discharge by Customs.

This code of message is notified when the cargo information was filed after the deadline.

• Also, penal provisions could be applied. An operator cannot unload the cargo without the permission of discharge by Customs.

A. Types of Notice

(a) Advance notice with DNL code and their cancellation notices:
(b) Advance notice with HLD code and their cancellation notices:
(c) Advance notice with DNU code and their cancellation notices:
(d) Advance notice with SPD code and their cancellation notices:

B. Notification Forwarding Party

(a) Advance notice on cargo information from (a) to (d) above are sent to the filers, registered in the Notification Forwarding Party field of the AMR and the filers of the Manifest Submission (DMF).

(b) Advance notice on cargo information from (a) to (c) above filed through the AHR are sent to the filers, registered in the Notification Forwarding Party field of the AHR, the filers of relevant cargo information of the AMR (only in cases where AMR has been executed before Japan Customs sends advance notice), and the filers of the Manifest Submission (DMF).