The myMSC SI submission workflow
Submitting an SI through myMSC follows eight steps. Each step involves carrier-specific portal behavior and regional overlays that differ from Maersk and other lines.
- 01
Access the shipping instruction
Log in to www.mymsc.com with two-factor authentication. Navigate to Dashboard, then eBooking, then Create Shipping Instruction. The booking status must be Confirmed for the SI creation option to appear.
Pain pointOn Brazil-style account setups, the booking owner and the legal representative may be different. The owner must share the booking with the legal representative through myMSC before the rep can access the SI creation menu. Forwarders with multi-party accounts hit permission errors here.
- 02
Requested documents section
Select BL type (Original BL, Sea Waybill, or eBL), number of originals, and print options.
Pain pointThe BL type choice made at booking is irrevocable per MSC US T&Cs. Forwarders who need to switch between Original BL and Sea Waybill post-booking must cancel and rebook. The SI submission cannot override the booking-time choice.
- 03
Parties section
Enter Shipper, Consignee, First Notify Party, and optional additional parties. The Same As control copies a previous party's details forward.
Pain pointParty addresses must exclude accented characters (ç, %, ½, etc.) per MSC's Brazil advisory. Latin American, Iberian, and CJK legal entity names with non-ASCII characters trigger SI rejections or data corruption.
- 04
Routing instructions and BL print text
Free-text fields for routing instructions and BL display. The Additional Comments field is read by the processing agent but does NOT appear on the draft BL.
Pain pointForwarders who put cargo description edits in Additional Comments expecting them to flow through to the BL find the edits silently dropped. Cargo description edits must go in the Containers and Cargo section.
- 05
References section
Add ITN for US exports, country-specific references, EORI for EU ICS2 declarant and supplementary declarant, and customer reference fields.
- 06
Containers and cargo section
Per-container cargo description, 6-digit HS code per cargo type, package type and weight, seal information, and VGM. The Mass Upload tool allows bulk population for multi-container shipments.
Pain pointMass Upload is needed for multi-container shipments. Manual per-container entry on 20+ container SIs is the single slowest ops-desk task on myMSC.
- 07
EU Customs section (ICS2)
Dedicated module for EU, Norway, Northern Ireland, and Switzerland-bound cargo. Two paths: self-declare ICS2 as supplementary declarant with EORI, or have MSC act as filer. Filing options F10 through F17 are available.
Pain pointForwarders migrating SI automation from Maersk who use the HBL/NVOCC/SCAC/Master keyword workaround will find MSC ignores this keyword pattern. MSC requires dedicated IFTMIN EDI segments or the myMSC EU Customs module UI.
- 08
Save and submit
The Submit button moves the draft from Draft status to Sent to Agency. After agency processing, status moves to Draft Pending Customer for approval.
Pain pointMSC does not publish a draft BL turnaround SLA. Per MSC US T&Cs, MSC is not even obligated to issue a draft for customer confirmation before BL issuance. Forwarders cannot plan LC review windows around a time target.
Where MSC SI errors happen
The most common MSC SI rejection and rework triggers, based on patterns across freight forwarder ops desks.
Vague cargo description on US-bound cargo
CommonSame CBP 27 September 2025 rule applies, but MSC does not publish operational guidance equivalent to Maersk's 5 November 2025 advisory. Failure surfaces later on MSC (at manifest transmission) rather than at SI validation.
Accented and special characters on myMSC
CommonBrazil advisory flags ç, %, ½, and asterisks as unsafe. Latin American, Iberian, and CJK shippers routinely see SI rejections or data corruption.
Email-based amendment requests silently ignored
FrequentBrazil advisory generalizes: MSC local documentation teams treat emailed amendment requests as out-of-process and do not route them into myMSC's workflow.
Irrevocable BL type choice missed at booking
FrequentPer MSC US T&Cs, Original BL vs Sea Waybill is locked at booking. Only resolution is cancel and rebook.
Draft BL review window drifts without SLA anchor
FrequentMSC US T&Cs state MSC is not obligated to issue a draft BL before issuance. myMSC does produce a draft in practice, but there is no published turnaround target. Forwarders coordinating LC reviews against a time budget build schedules on a phantom SLA and miss amendment cut-offs when the draft appears later than assumed.
NVOCC filers using Maersk's keyword workaround on MSC EDI
CommonForwarders migrating automation from Maersk insert HBL/NVOCC/SCAC/Master keywords expecting MSC to parse them. MSC ignores these as free text. Dedicated IFTMIN segments or myMSC EU Customs module are required.
Seal number format errors (Costa Rica and country-specific)
OccasionalMSC Costa Rica rejects seal strings with dots, hyphens, commas, and asterisks. Non-ISO-17712 seals trigger fines.
Cargo description edits written into Additional Comments field
OccasionalThe Additional Comments field on myMSC is read by the processing agent but does not flow through to the draft BL. Forwarders who put cargo description corrections there find the edits silently dropped. All cargo-description edits must go through the Containers and Cargo section.
How Expedion agents handle MSC SIs
Expedion's AI agents automate the end-to-end SI workflow on MSC shipments, with carrier-specific validation built in at every step. Accuracy comes from enforcing MSC's published rules at submission time. Agents do not depend on carrier-side help desks or exception paths.
Parse booking confirmation from email or TMS, extract all required fields, and cross-reference against the shipper's commercial invoice and packing list. HS codes validated against the WCO list before submission.
Generate plain-language cargo descriptions from commercial invoices to pass US CBP 27 September 2025 rules. Explicit rejection of 'general cargo' / 'FAK' / 'consolidated cargo' shortcuts that would trigger customs holds at manifest transmission.
Strip accented characters, special characters (ç, %, ½, asterisks), and non-ASCII content per MSC's Brazil advisory. Replace with safe transliterations. Validate seal numbers against MSC's Costa Rica format rules.
Read BL type chosen at booking and refuse to modify at SI stage. Escalate any switch request (Original BL vs Sea Waybill) to the forwarder's reviewer; the only resolution path is cancel and rebook.
For EU-bound cargo, populate the myMSC EU Customs module or submit IFTMIN EDI segments through the MSC Developer Portal path. Do not use the Maersk HBL/NVOCC/SCAC/Master keyword workaround. Select the correct filing option (F10, F11, F12/F13, or F14/F15/F17) based on NVOCC role and customer filing preference. Validate EORI numbers against EU portal.
Identify the correct myMSC account and user permission set for each booking. Handle Brazil-style 'share booking with legal representative' pattern automatically.
Compare SI gross weight against filed VGM declaration. Flag discrepancies outside MSC's tolerance (500kg under 10T, 5% over 10T in Vietnam and similar in other geographies) before submission.
Route all amendments through myMSC or EDI. Never email MSC documentation teams; the Brazil advisory's 'email automatically disregarded' pattern is enforced globally as safe default. Pre-sailing amendments free; post-sailing amendments surfaced to reviewer with $75 US Amendment Fee flagged. Agents monitor myMSC for draft BL availability without raising false alarms on elapsed time (no published SLA), parse the draft against the submitted SI when it appears, and flag field-level discrepancies.
HS code enforcement on MSC
MSC's HS code enforcement is not a single global mandate analogous to Maersk's November 2022 policy. It is assembled from overlapping country-level and regulation-level rules that produce approximately the same outcome but without a single document to reference. The EU ICS2 framework requires a 6-digit HS code for each cargo item on all SIs destined to the EU, Norway, Northern Ireland, or Switzerland. Missing HS codes block ENS acceptance.
Country-level mandates extend this: Malaysia requires 6-digit HS for transshipment and local discharge at Port Kelang, Penang, Pasir Gudang, and Tanjung Pelepas (effective 1 October 2018), with FROB cargo generally exempt. The Netherlands and Turkey enforce similar rules on imports and transshipment respectively. Military and dual-use cargo per MSC's US T&Cs requires a minimum 6-digit HS code plus full manufacturer and end-user details, technical data sheets, and applicable import/export licenses. US ACD filings include 6-digit HS as part of manifest data.
The practical effect: MSC's rules aggregate to approximately the same outcome as Maersk's November 2022 mandate, but without a single document to point to. The safe default is to always provide a 6-digit HS code on MSC SIs regardless of lane.
US, EU, and country-specific rules for MSC SIs
MSC's regional compliance is assembled from separate regulatory layers. Each row below is a rule Expedion agents enforce at SI submission time.
| Rule / Region | Requirement | Mechanism / Enforcement |
|---|---|---|
| EU ICS2 Release 3 (4 Dec 2024) | 6-digit HS per cargo, EORI for declarant and supplementary declarant, complete addresses (street, number, PO Box, city, postcode, country) for all parties | IFTMIN EDI segments OR myMSC EU Customs module (NOT the Maersk keyword workaround). Filing options F10-F17 cover master-only, master-plus-house, and supplementary declarant scenarios |
| EU ICS2 data cut-off | No later than 24 hours before estimated time of loading for deep-sea | No MRN, No Load enforced. Cargo without successful ENS MRN shifts to next available vessel |
| US CBP (27 Sep 2025) | Plain-language cargo description, consignee, shipper; no general cargo / FAK / consolidated cargo | Auto-rejection at manifest transmission. No MSC-published operational guidance equivalent to Maersk's November 2025 advisory; Expedion applies the same CBP-side rules on MSC shipments |
| Costa Rica | Original BL mandatory (no telex, no eBL, no SWB). Consignee must be Costa Rican-registered with tax ID | No exceptions. Seal format excludes dots, hyphens, commas, asterisks |
| Malaysia (effective 1 Oct 2018) | 6-digit HS mandatory for transshipment and local discharge at Port Kelang, Penang, Pasir Gudang, Tanjung Pelepas | FROB (Freight Remaining On Board) cargo exempt |
| Brazil | All draft BL amendments must happen on myMSC | Email requests automatically disregarded per MSC Brazil advisory; pattern enforced globally by Expedion as safe default |
| Indonesia, Vietnam, Algeria, multiple African and Latin American geographies | Local consignee format, tax ID, seal number, and manifest field requirements vary | Per MSC country-specific local information pages |
MSC SI portal details
Key reference data for ops teams submitting shipping instructions on MSC shipments.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| SI Portal | myMSC (www.mymsc.com) |
| Booking status required | Confirmed |
| SCAC codes accepted | MEDU, MSCU, MSDU |
| Authorisation model | Account-based permissions (no Maersk-equivalent "five authorised parties" rule) |
| SI language | English-only; no accented/special characters (ç, %, ½) |
| BL type lock | Irrevocable at booking per MSC US T&Cs |
| Submission channels | myMSC, IFTMIN EDI, INTTRA/GT Nexus/CargoSmart, email (with manual fee) |
| Draft BL SLA | None published (MSC not obligated to issue draft per US T&Cs) |
| HS code format | 6-digit minimum on meaningful lanes (EU ICS2, country-level, US ACD) |
| ICS2 Master BL flag mechanism | IFTMIN EDI segments OR myMSC EU Customs module (NOT the Maersk keyword workaround) |
| VGM requirement | Must reconcile with SI gross weight; tolerance 500kg under 10T, 5% over 10T |
| Manual amendment fee (US) | $100/BL Manual BL Fee, effective 1 February 2025 |
| Post-sailing amendment fee (US) | $75/BL (plus $100 manual fee if not through digital channel) |
| Email amendment handling | Automatically disregarded per Brazil advisory (applies broadly in practice) |
TMS compatibility for MSC SI
Expedion agents submit MSC SIs from within your existing TMS. For CargoWise users, agents read shipment data via eAdaptor and submit through myMSC or MSC's IFTMIN EDI Developer Portal. For GoFreight and Magaya, agents use the respective REST and Open APIs for internal shipment state and myMSC for carrier-side submission. Full TMS compatibility details are on the MSC overview page.
Related pages
MSC carrier pages: MSC overview · Bill of lading · Booking · Documentation · Tracking & visibility
SI across carriers: Shipping instructions automation · Maersk shipping instructions · CMA CGM shipping instructions · Hapag-Lloyd shipping instructions · ONE shipping instructions · COSCO shipping instructions · Evergreen shipping instructions
Frequently asked questions
How does Expedion handle myMSC's account-based SI authorisation model?
MSC gates SI submission through account permissions on myMSC, not through a Maersk-style enumerated list of five authorised shipment parties. Agents identify the correct myMSC account and user permission set for each booking. For Brazil-style account setups where the booking owner differs from the legal representative, agents apply the myMSC share-booking pattern automatically so the representative can access the SI creation menu without permission errors.
How does Expedion handle character sanitisation for MSC SIs?
MSC's Brazil advisory explicitly prohibits accented characters and special characters such as ç, %, and ½ in SI fields. Agents strip non-ASCII content from party names, addresses, and cargo descriptions, replacing accented characters with safe transliterations before submission. Seal number strings are also validated against MSC's Costa Rica format rules, which reject dots, hyphens, commas, and asterisks.
How does Expedion handle ICS2 filing on MSC versus Maersk?
The ICS2 filing mechanism differs between carriers. Maersk uses an HBL/NVOCC/SCAC/Master keyword in the additional notes field on EDI for correct parsing. MSC ignores that keyword pattern entirely. For MSC, agents populate the myMSC EU Customs module or submit dedicated IFTMIN EDI segments through the MSC Developer Portal, selecting the correct filing option (F10 through F17) based on the forwarder's NVOCC role and customer filing preference. EORI numbers are validated against the EU portal before submission.
What happens if a forwarder needs to switch BL type after booking on MSC?
MSC's US Terms & Conditions make the BL type choice at booking irrevocable. Unlike Maersk, where the BL type can be amended post-booking, MSC does not allow switching between Original BL and Sea Waybill after the booking is confirmed. Agents refuse to attempt mid-shipment BL type conversion and escalate any switch request to the forwarder's reviewer with the only resolution path clearly flagged: cancel and rebook.