Changes to Sea Cargo Reporting

Changes to Sea Cargo Reporting (Ocean 

Bill of Lading) Phase 2 

Background 

Customs has re-examined the way in which Ocean Bills of Lading (OBOL) numbers are used 

to create associations between sea cargo reports in the Integrated Cargo System (ICS). 

The ICS requires shipping companies to lodge cargo reports based on OBOL for space 

leased on a vessel carrying import cargo into Australia. Where shipping companies lease 

space to freight forwarders; these freight forwarders submit cargo reports based on house bill 

of lading (HBOL) information. The freight forwarder may issue HBOLs to the final recipient of 

the goods, or further sub-let space to other freight forwarders. 

HBOL cargo reports are linked to OBOL cargo reports by the matching of key identifiers 

contained within both types of reports. These identifiers need to be identical to achieve a 

match. These are vessel Id, voyage number, container number (where applicable) and OBOL. 

Failure to achieve a match results in cargo being impeded or the rejection of the cargo report 

by the ICS. 

PHASE 1 

Phase 1 of the OBOL changes, implemented in mid-May 2006, removed the need to provide 

an identical OBOL number when reporting lower level bills as criteria for obtaining clearance 

for containerised cargo (reported as FCL at the OBOL level). Where a lower level cargo 

report is submitted and the quoted OBOL cargo report cannot be found in the system, the ICS 

will attempt to match and link the lower level bill to an OBOL using the container number and 

vessel Id/voyage number details provided within the HBOL cargo report. 

In Phase 1, this process only occurs when the OBOL cargo report has been submitted by the 

relevant shipping line, prior to the submission of the HBOL cargo report by the freight 

forwarder. Phase 2 of the OBOL changes will allow the ICS to accept HBOL cargo reports 

prior to the OBOL cargo report and will link these reports even if the OBOL numbers quoted 

on the reports do not match. 

PHASE 2 CHANGES 

The Phase 2 changes will accept an OBOL cargo report submitted after the HBOL cargo 

report with the same vessel/voyage/container, even if the OBOL numbers do not match. 

Upon receiving this OBOL cargo report, the ICS will look for existing HBOL cargo reports with 

the same vessel/voyage/container and link these to the OBOL cargo report. If this OBOL 

cargo report is later withdrawn, the derived OBOL number on the HBOL cargo report will 

remain, but the derived OBOL number will be followed by a red “W”. 

Currently, if an OBOL cargo report is submitted after an HBOL cargo report for the same 

vessel/voyage/container, and the OBOL numbers don’t match, this OBOL cargo report will be 

rejected by the ICS. This often requires the freight forwarder to withdraw their HBOL cargo 

report and for both the freight forwarder(s) and shipping company to resubmit their respective 

cargo reports. 

In addition, these changes will allow Underbond Movement Requests and Sea Cargo 

Outturns to be submitted or amended quoting either the OBOL number quoted on the OBOL 

cargo report or on the HBOL cargo report.

CONTAINERISED SEA CARGO REPORTING 

When an FCL OBOL cargo report is submitted to the ICS, the ICS will find all HBOL cargo 

reports for the same vessel/voyage/container (either FCL, FCX or LCL). If the OBOL 

numbers on the OBOL cargo report and HBOL cargo report(s) is the same, then the ICS will 

link these documents normally. If the OBOL numbers are different, the ICS will append the 

OBOL number from the OBOL cargo report to the HBOL cargo report and link these 

documents. 

Industry will still be required to continue to report the OBOL numbers provided on commercial 

documentation. 

Cargo reports may be amended or withdrawn, but unique cargo identifiers such as vessel Id, 

voyage number, OBOL number and HBOL number cannot be amended. If any unique cargo 

identifiers are required to be amended, the cargo report must be withdrawn and a new report 

submitted. 

Amendments to, or withdrawals of, HBOL cargo reports via EDI will be accepted only if the 

reported or derived OBOL number is quoted within the message. 

To clarify the matching process, there are a number of principles that will be applied when 

deriving an OBOL number for an HBOL cargo report: 

• If two or more OBOL cargo reports with the same vessel/voyage/container exist in the 

ICS when a matching HBOL cargo report is submitted, the HBOL cargo report will be 

linked to the OBOL cargo report that was submitted first; 

• If the linking of the HBOL cargo report to the OBOL cargo report will result in an 

impossible situation, such as an FCL HBOL cargo report becoming the child of an 

LCL HBOL cargo report, only the OBOL will only be derived for the HBOL cargo 

report that was submitted first; and 

• An OBOL cargo report will not be linked to an HBOL cargo report with the same 

vessel/voyage/container if the transit indicators on the two documents are different 

(i.e., one cargo report is for transit cargo and the other is for import cargo). 

SCENARIOS 

Scenario 1 (below) shows the system behaviour when: 

• The freight forwarder reports one HBOL cargo report for an FCL container using an 

inaccurate OBOL number; 

• The shipping company reports one OBOL cargo report for the FCL container 

consigned to the freight forwarder; 

• There is no underbond move required as the container is to be delivered from the 

wharf. 


• The freight forwarder reports one HBOL cargo report for an FCL container using an 

inaccurate OBOL number; 

• The shipping company reports one OBOL cargo report for the FCL container 

consigned to the freight forwarder, mistakenly quoting the incorrect OBOL number, so 

the OBOL cargo report is withdrawn, corrected and resubmitted; 

• There is no underbond move required as the container is to be delivered from the 

wharf.

CONTAINERISED OUTTURNS 

Sea Cargo Outturns at the HBOL level must quote either the OBOL number reported within 

the HBOL cargo report or the OBOL number that was derived from the OBOL cargo report. 

The ICS will recognise either of these OBOL numbers if quoted on a Sea Cargo Outturn and 

will process as normal. Amendments to Sea Cargo Outturns will be allowed using either the 

reported or derived OBOL number. 

SCENARIOS 


• The shipping company reports an OBOL cargo report for an FCL container consigned 

to a freight forwarder; 

• The freight forwarder reports one HBOL cargo report for an LCL consignment in that 

container using an inaccurate OBOL number; 

• The container is moved underbond from the wharf to a depot for deconsolidation 

• This depot submits a Sea Cargo Outturn report for the consolidation, quoting the 

freight forwarder’s inaccurate OBOL number for the LCL line 

LINE LEVEL UNDERBOND MOVEMENTS 

Sea Cargo Underbond Movements at line level must quote either the OBOL number reported 

within the HBOL cargo report or the OBOL number that was derived from the OBOL cargo 

report. The ICS will recognise either of these OBOL numbers if quoted on a Sea Cargo 

Underbond Movement and will process as normal. Amendments to insert or delete a line 

within a Sea Cargo Underbond Movement will be allowed using either the reported or derived 

OBOL number. 

SCENARIOS 


• The freight forwarder reports an HBOL for an LCL container to the ICS using an OBOL 

number different to that issued by the shipping company 

• The shipping company reports the OBOL sea cargo report to the ICS using their OBOL 

number 

. 

• The container is moved underbond from the wharf to a depot for deconsolidation 

• An underbond movement request for a line within an LCL Container is submitted 

OUTBOUND MESSAGES 

There are no changes to Outbound Messages as a result of Phase 2 of the OBOL changes. 

ICS SCREEN CHANGES 

As a result of these changes there will be a number of changes to screens within the ICS 

Customs Interactive. Customs Interactive users will notice changes, detailed below, to the 

following screens: 

• Sea Cargo Report View 

• Underbond Movements View & Underbond Movements Line View 

• Sea Cargo Outturn View

SEA CARGO REPORT VIEW SCREEN 

As per the OBOL Phase 1 changes, when an OBOL number is derived for an HBOL cargo 

report this OBOL number will be displayed as the “Ocean Bill of Lading” on the Sea Cargo 

Report View screen. If the OBOL cargo report is later withdrawn, the “Ocean Bill of Lading” 

on the Sea Cargo Report View screen will be updated with a red “W” to signify that the OBOL 

cargo report has been withdrawn. 

If a new OBOL Sea Cargo Report is submitted, a new OBOL number will be derived, and this 

OBOL number will be displayed on the Sea Cargo Report View screen. 

UNDERBOND MOVEMENTS VIEW SCREEN 

OBOL Phase 1 allows underbond Movement Requests at the HBOL level to be reported 

quoting either the OBOL number from the HBOL or the derived OBOL number. 

OBOL Phase 2 will make a change to the Underbond Movements View screen that displays 

the OBOL number, whether it was derived and, if so, what the originally reported OBOL 

number is. 

The Underbond Movements View screen will show an asterisk (*) against the sea cargo 

report where the reported OBOL number is different to the derived OBOL number. The Ocean 

Bill column on this screen shows the derived number. When the cursor ‘hovers’ over the 

derived number with an asterisk, a pop-up text message will appear against it, showing the 

reported OBOL number.

The Underbond Movements View Line screen has also been updated to display both the 

reported and the derived OBOL number, in the “Reported Ocean Bill of Lading” and “Ocean 

Bill of Lading” fields respectively. 

In addition, if the OBOL cargo report is later withdrawn, the “Ocean Bill of Lading” on the 

Underbond Movements View Line screen will be updated with a red “W” to signify that the 

OBOL cargo report has been withdrawn.

If a new OBOL Sea Cargo Report is submitted, a new OBOL number will be derived, and this 

OBOL number will be displayed on the Underbond Movements View and Underbond 

Movements View Line screens. 

SEA CARGO OUTTURN VIEW SCREEN 

OBOL Phase 2 will make a change to the Sea Cargo Outturn View screen that displays the 

OBOL number, whether it was derived and, if so, what the originally reported OBOL number 

is. 

The Sea Cargo Outturn View screen will show an asterisk (*) against the sea cargo report 

where the reported OBOL number is different to the derived OBOL number. The Ocean Bill 

column on this screen shows the derived number. When the cursor ‘hovers’ over the derived 

number with an asterisk, a pop-up text message will appear against it, showing the reported 

OBOL number.

The Sea Cargo Outturn Line View screen has also been updated to display both the reported 

and the derived OBOL number, in the “Reported Ocean Bill of Lading” and “Ocean Bill of 

Lading” fields respectively.

Further Information 

For more information on the changes to Sea Cargo Reporting (Ocean Bill of 

Lading) Phase 2 email cargosupport@customs.gov.au or phone 1300 558 099.

Scenario 1 

The freight forwarder reports their HBOL cargo report to the ICS before the shipping company reports their OBOL cargo report to 

the ICS. There are no Customs or AQIS interventions. 

Description of Business Scenario 

• Freight forwarder reports a House Bill of Lading (HBOL) for an 

FCL container to the ICS using an OBOL number different to 

that issued by the shipping company 

. 

• Shipping company reports the OBOL sea cargo report to the 

ICS using their OBOL number 

• There is no underbond move as the container is delivered 

form the wharf 

When the ocean bill number reported in the freight forwarder cargo report 

does not match with the ocean bill number reported in the shipping 

company ocean bill. 

The current system behaviour and 

result is: 

• The shipping company OBOL 

sea cargo report is rejected, 

because it is identified as a 

duplicate of the freight forwarder 

HBOL sea cargo report by the 

ICS; 

• The freight forwarder must 

withdraw and resubmit their sea 

cargo report with the correct 

OBOL number; 

• The shipping company must 

resubmit their sea cargo report 

The changed system behaviour and 

result is: 

• The freight forwarder HBOL sea 

cargo report is accepted by the 

ICS; 

• The shipping sompany OBOL 

sea cargo report is accepted by 

the ICS, and the derived OBOL 

for the freight forwarder HBOL 

sea cargo report is updated

Scenario 2 

The freight forwarder reports their HBOL cargo report to the ICS before the shipping company reports the OBOL cargo report to the 

ICS. The initial OBOL cargo report contains incorrect OBOL number, so it is withdrawn and resubmitted with correct the OBOL 

number. There are no Customs or AQIS interventions. 


• Freight forwarder reports an HBOL for an FCL container to 

the ICS using an OBOL number different to that issued by the 

shipping company 

. 



• Shipping company identifies an error with the OBOL number 

reported on their sea cargo report and withdraws the sea 

cargo report 

• Shipping company corrects OBOL number and resubmits the 

OBOL sea cargo report to the ICS 

When the OBOL number reported in the freight forwarder cargo report does 

not match with the OBOL number reported in the shipping company OBOL 

cargo report, and the shipping company withdraws and resubmits their 

cargo report due to an incorrect OBOL number. 


result is: 






ICS; 


withdraw and resubmit their sea 

cargo report with the correct 

OBOL number; 




result is: 



ICS; 



the ICS, and the derived OBOL 

for the freight forwarder HBOL 

sea cargo report is updated 

• The derived OBOL for the freight 

forwarder HBOL sea cargo report 

is updated with a red “W” to 

identify it as withdrawn 

• The resubmitted shipping 

company OBOL sea cargo report 

is accepted by the ICS, and the 

derived OBOL for the freight 

forwarder HBOL sea cargo report 

is updated

Scenario 3 

The shipping company reports their Ocean Bill before the freight forwarder’s House Bill is reported, and the container is moved 

underbond to a depot for deconsolidation and outturn. 


• The shipping company reports an OBOL cargo report for an 

FCL container consigned to a freight forwarder; 

• The freight forwarder reports one HBOL cargo report for an 

LCL consignment in that container using an inaccurate OBOL 

number; 

• The container is moved underbond from the wharf to a depot 

for deconsolidation 

• This depot submits a Sea Cargo Outturn report for the 

consolidation, quoting the freight forwarder’s inaccurate 

OBOL number for the LCL line 

When the Ocean Bill number on the Sea Cargo Outturn does not match the 

Ocean Bill number quoted on the Ocean Bill Sea Cargo Report. 


result is: 

• Freight forwarder’s sea cargo 

report is accepted, and the 

correct OBOL is derived from the 

shipping company’s sea cargo 

report; 

• The Sea Cargo Outturn is 

accepted, but the LCL 

consignment is identified as 

surplus 


result is: 

• Freight forwarder’s sea cargo 

report is accepted, and the 

correct OBOL is derived from the 

shipping company’s sea cargo 

report; 

• The Sea Cargo Outturn links to 

the LCL consignment and status 

is generated correctly

Scenario 4 

The freight forwarder reports their HBOL cargo report for an LCL container to the ICS before the shipping company reports their 

OBOL cargo report. An underbond movement for a single line within the container is received after a deconsolidation underbond 

movement is submitted. This results in the underbond movement request linking to the HBOL cargo report. The initial HBOL cargo 

report contains incorrect OBOL number, which results in the underbond movement and the HBOL cargo report needing to be 

withdrawn and resubmitted with correct OBOL number. There are no Customs or AQIS interventions.


• The freight forwarder reports an HBOL for an LCL container to 

the ICS using an OBOL number different to that issued by the 

shipping company 

. 



• The container is moved underbond from the wharf to a depot 

for deconsolidation 

• An underbond movement request for a line within an LCL 

Container is submitted 

When a HBOL cargo report for an LCL container is received before an 

OBOL cargo report and the OBOL numbers within both cargo reports do not 

match and an underbond movement is received to move a single line within 

the LCL container. 


result is: 



ICS; 






ICS; 

• The underbond movement for 

deconsolidation and the single 

line movement is accepted. 


withdraw their underbond 

movement request and their sea 

cargo report and resubmit both 

transactions with an OBOL 

number that will match the OBOL 

cargo report when lodged; 




result is: 



ICS; 



the ICS, and OBOL number from 

the OBOL cargo report is derived 

OBOL for the freight forwarder 

HBOL sea cargo report is 

updated 

• The underbond movement for 

deconsolidation is accepted and 

the underbond movement for the 

single line is accepted and can 

quote the OBOL Number quoted 

within either the OBOL cargo 

report or the HBOL cargo report.

Changes to Sea Cargo Reporting

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