DCSA Launches Arrival Notice Standard to Streamline Container Shipping Documentation

The Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) has unveiled its Arrival Notice 1.0.0 Standard, introducing a universal API designed to replace the fragmented and manual processes currently used to distribute arrival notices. 

The move is intended to modernise one of the most widely used documents in global shipping and reduce inefficiencies across the supply chain.

An Arrival Notice is a critical document issued by carriers to notify parties, consignees, or their agents that cargo is due to arrive at a designated port or terminal. It triggers release and delivery processes and plays a central role in import operations. 

Despite its importance, arrival notices are typically distributed as PDF files via email, a practice that often results in errors, delays and costly disputes.

The new DCSA standard defines arrival notices as structured data that can be exchanged machine-to-machine via API. Designed for global use, it supports multiple languages and country-specific content requirements while maintaining a consistent data model. 

By replacing PDFs with structured data, the standard enables automatic confirmation of receipt, reduces manual rework and monitoring, and eliminates inconsistencies across carriers and geographies. 

The standard also simplifies system integration, improves timeliness and accuracy, and helps reduce financial disputes related to storage, detention, and demurrage charges caused by late or missing notices.

“Arrival notices are one of the most widely used documents in shipping, but until now they lacked a standard digital format,” said End-to-End Documentation Product Owner at DCSA, Flavia Buso. 

“With this standard, we provide the industry with a consistent, automated way of sharing arrival notices that works globally while accommodating local requirements. It is a practical step that delivers immediate efficiency gains for container shipping”.

The Arrival Notice standard is part of DCSA’s broader digitalisation goals, including the adoption of 100% electronic bills of lading.

“The Arrival Notice is the foundation over which we will continue to standardize the import release process, which is currently more fragmented and unstructured than the export. Each new standard strengthens the digital foundation for global trade,” said Head of Standards at DCSA, Iker Echave. 

“By replacing one more of shipping’s heavily manual processes with machine readable data, the industry takes another clear step towards a digital and automated documentation framework end to end”.

The Arrival Notice 1.0.0 Standard is now available on the DCSA website and open for adoption by all industry stakeholders.

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