FWB-FHL Messages

• We do not have the required infrastructure to send air waybill messages (FWB / FHL). Is there any platform to send this info?

  You can send your Master and House Airway bill information to our system via the TK GO (Turkish Cargo Web Portal) using the MAWB and HAWB entry under the AWB tab.

• What are the customs requirements for FWB and FHL messages?

  Customs Requirements

  
  Last Modified: Dec 08, 2025

  
  TURKIYE (TR)
  • Pursuant to Article 35/A of the Customs Law No. 4458; Consignee Tax Number-Customs Tariff Code at least 6 digits (HS Code), Number of Containers, Gross Weight, Description of Goods, Consignee and Shipper Information, Freight Amount & Freight Currency information must be included in the summary declarations coming to Türkiye.
  • All the above information is required for transit shipments coming from abroad and to be moved abroad, only the Consignee Tax Number is not required.

  
  UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (US)
  • USA addresses must start with a number and include Avenue, Street, Building, Apartment, along with state code and postal code.
   • In addition to the Stated Pieces information for shipments bound for the USA, SLAC/Carton information, which is the quantity of the smallest countable pieces of the shipment, must be specified in FWB/FHL messages and MAWB/HAWB documents. For Consolidated shipments, SLAC, Carton information must be specified separately in MAWB and HAWBs.
  • For every shipment destined to the USA, the cargo description must be clear and detailed. General terms such as “GPS parts” are no longer acceptable. Instead, specific descriptions like “vehicle GPS antenna” or “navigation system circuit board” are now mandatory. The USA Customs and Border Protection (CBP) considers vague or generic descriptions insufficient. Shipments containing such descriptions may be subject to delays, rejections, or penalties. You can review sample descriptions published by CBP for guidance at the following link: https://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-import-export/e-commerce/examples-unacceptable-vs-acceptable-cargo-descriptions  Based on these examples, detailed cargo descriptions should be provided accordingly. 
  Consolidated shipments are also subject to these rules. While the term “Consolidated Cargo” may be used on the Master AWB, each HAWB must include a shipment-specific, clear, and detailed description. If each HAWB contains different products, each must be described separately and specifically. 
  • In accordance with USA Customs and Security regulations, ACAS messages must be transmitted to the relevant ACAS addresses within the pre-departure time window to allow for risk assessment of the shipment. Based on this assessment, the authorities may request additional information or reject the shipment. Therefore, compliance with the pre-departure timeframe is crucial to enable this evaluation. 
  If a shipment destined for the USA is classified as E-COMMERCE, all parcel information listed under the relevant MAWB must be completely transmitted to the ACAS system by the shipper prior to flight departure. If the shipment falls under the E-COMMERCE category (i.e., the SCC code contains “COU” or “COX”), the following statement must be included in the Handling Information section of the MAWB or in any part of the transport documentation: “(Shipper Name) has transmitted HAWB ACAS Data directly to ACAS Unit and ACAS has received self-filing approval without any problems.”  This statement is important as it serves as a declaration that the shipper has fulfilled the ACAS filing requirement. The shipper will be held responsible for any consequences arising from failure to transmit or incomplete transmission of ACAS messages.
  • As per the recent notification by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the required information for all shipments arriving in the United States is as follows: Announcement:https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USDHSCBP-3fd118a?wgt_ref=USDHSCBP_WIDGET_2
  All detailed information regarding the content can be found at the following link. ACAS link:https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/21/2025-20606/enhanced-air-cargo-advance-screening-acas

  
  Original ACAS Data Elements included:
  1.    Shipper name
  2.    Shipper address
  3.    Consignee name
  4.    Consignee address
  5.    Cargo Description
  6.    Total quantity based on the smallest external packing unit
  7.    Weight
  8.    Airway Bill
  The Enhanced ACAS data elements expanded the mandatory and conditional data element requirements to include the following:

  
  Enhanced Mandatory Data Elements (new):
  1.    Consignee Email
  2.    Consignee Phone Number
  3.    Shipment Packing Location and/or Scheduled Shipment Pickup Location
  4.    Ship to Party
  5.    Verified Known Consignor* = yes or no
  Conditional Data Elements required if shipper is not a Verified Known Consignor (new):
  1.    Shipper Email
  2.    Shipper Phone Number 
  3.    Customer Account Shipping Frequency/Volume
  4.    Customer Account Billing Type
  5.    Customer Account Holder
  6.    Customer Account Name
  7.    Customer Account Issuer
  8.    Customer Account Number
  9.    Customer Account Shipping Frequency/Volume
  10.    Customer Account Establishment Date
  11.    Customer Account Billing Type
  12.    Internet Protocol (IP) or MAC Address used during creation of Customer Account

  
  Conditional Data Elements required under certain conditions:
  1.    Shipping cost
  2.    IP or MAC address used to initiate the shipping transaction
  3.    Biographic Data
  4.    Uniform Resource Locator or “URL” of the product

  
  CANADA (CA)
  • Canadian addresses must start with a number and include Avenue, Street, Building, Apartment, along with state code and postal code. 
  • For every shipment destined to Canada, the cargo description must be clear and detailed.
  Since FHL messages allow up to 15 characters, HAWB/FHL goods descriptions should not exceed 15 characters and must comply with detailed/acceptable goods descriptions.
  You can find example goods descriptions at the following link:
  https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/prog/aci-manif-ipec/commod-fret-eng.html
   • For non-consolidation (non-consol) shipments to Canada, the shipper and consignee must not be Logistics, Agent, Forwarder, or Broker. The ultimate shipper and consignee must be specified (due to the embargo in Comis). If the consignee is an agent and the AWB copy states "CLSV exempt from ACI," the shipment is exempt from the ultimate shipper-consignee embargo, but the type of shipment must still be declared appropriately.

  
  EUROPE (EU)
  •  6-digit HS Code is mandatory.
  • An EORI Number (Economic Operator Registration and Identification Number) must be provided. This is mandatory for all ICS2 countries.
  • For every shipment destined to Europe, the cargo description must be clear and detailed. Goods descriptions must be provided based on the Acceptable-Unacceptable Goods Description list issued by the EU Customs Authority.
  Since FHL messages allow up to 15 characters, HAWB/FHL goods descriptions should not exceed 15 characters and must comply with detailed/acceptable goods descriptions.
  You can find example goods descriptions at the following link: https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2021-03/guidance_acceptable_goods_description_en.pdf

  
  POLAND (PL)
  • Shipments bound for Poland must include the consignee's postal code in the format “11-000”.

  
  BELARUS (BY)
  • Goods descriptions must not include terms like Consol, Consolidation or General Cargo.
  • For all shipments from the USA to Belarus, the ECCN (Export Control Classification Number) or "No License Required" (NLR) must be indicated on the AWB.

  
  RUSSIA (RU)
  • Goods descriptions must not include terms like Consol, Consolidation, or General Cargo.
  • For all shipments from the USA to Russia, the ECCN or "No License Required" (NLR) must be indicated on the AWB.

  
  SOUTH KOREA (KR)
  • For every shipment destined to South Korea, the cargo description must be clear and detailed. Goods descriptions must be provided based on the Acceptable-Unacceptable Goods Description list below. 
  Since FHL messages allow up to 15 characters, HAWB/FHL goods descriptions should not exceed 15 characters and must comply with detailed/acceptable goods descriptions.
  You can find example goods descriptions at the following link:
  https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2021-03/guidance_acceptable_goods_description_en.pdf

  
  BANGLADESH (BD)
  • Shipments bound for Bangladesh must include a customs value declaration. This is mandatory for all shipments except for Diplomatic (DIP) and Humanitarian (HUM) shipments.
  • Shipments bound for Bangladesh must include the BIN Number (Business Identification Number) of the HAWB consignee for Consol shipments and the MAWB Consignee for non-Consol shipments. This 14-digit BIN Number must include a dash before the last 4 digits, The term “BIN” should not be added.
  • If the consignee for a Bangladesh-bound shipment is a company with "BANK" in its name, Notify information for a secondary consignee must be provided, and both consignees must have a BIN Number.
  • For personal effects and courier shipments destined for Bangladesh, CIN Number (Consignee Identification Number) information is mandatory only for HAWB consignee and MAWB consignee of non-Consolidated shipments.

  
  UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (AE)
  • Shipments to the UAE must include a 6-digit HS Code in both FWB/MAWB and FHL/HAWB.
  • The UAE Goods Descriptions list should be used for all shipments to United Arab Emirates. The goods description on the document/message should be suitable with the example commodity descriptions in the Acceptable list.
  Since FHL messages allow up to 15 characters, HAWB/FHL goods descriptions should not exceed 15 characters and must comply with detailed/acceptable goods descriptions.
  You can find example goods descriptions at the following link: https://www.turkishcargo.com/documents/Unacceptable-Acceptable%20Shipment%20Description%20List/uae-unacceptable-acceptable-shipment-description-list.pdf
  • For shipments destined to The United Arab Emirates, shipper and consignee telephone numbers required to include in the MAWB/FWB and HAWB/FHL information.

  
  IRAN (IR)
  • For all shipments from the USA to Iran, the ECCN or "No License Required" (NLR) must be indicated on the AWB.
  • Goods descriptions must not include terms like Consol, Consolidation, or General Cargo.
  • HS Code must be indicated on the AWB and FWB.
  • For all shipments to Iran, National ID, Legal Entity Code or Foreigner’s ID Code must be indicated on the FWB/MAWB for Shipper and Consignee. These codes can be 10,11 and 12 digits.
  • For all shipments to Iran, Postal Code must be indicated on the FWB/MAWB for Shipper and Consignee. This code must be 10 digits for Iranian Consignee. Iran Postal code must be specified in the OCI line.

  PAKISTAN (PK)
  • If the consignee for a Pakistan-bound shipment is a company with "BANK" in its name, Notify information for a secondary consignee must be provided.

  
  SAUDI ARABIA (SA)
  • Shipments to Saudi Arabia must include a consignee's phone number or email address in the FWB/MAWB.

  
  SRI LANKA (LK)
  • Notify information is required for certain types of consignees in shipments bound for Sri Lanka. For Consol shipments, only the FWB/MAWB needs to include Notify information.
  • If the shipment is air-to-air (AIR/AIR) or air-to-sea (AIR/SEA), this must be indicated in the Handling Information field.

  
  CHINA (CN)
  • All information on documents and messages must be same.
  • For shipments to China, the shipper and consignee's phone numbers are mandatory.
  • For shipments destined to China, the shipment descriptions in FWB and FHL messages must be accurate and precise. Generic, vague, or code-only shipment descriptions will no longer be accepted. You can find official notification and sample list for reference at the following link: 
  https://www.turkishcargo.com/documents/annex-16-for-the-example-negative-list.pdf
  https://turkishcargo.com/documents/china-general-administration-of-customs-announcement-no-144-of-2019-announcement-on-adjustments-to-manifest-management-of-water-and-air-transport.pdf

  
  ALGERIA (DZ)
  • Shipments bound for Algeria must include a 6-digit HS Code in the FWB/MAWB.
  • The FWB/MAWB and FHL/HAWB for shipments to Algeria must include the ICE/NIF Code (Fiscal Identification Number). All commercial and non-commercial consignees must have an ICE/NIF Code. If the consignee is an organization or institution subject to the ICE/NIF, a 15-digit code must be provided. If the consignee is a legal entity or a government office, a code of fifteen zeroes (000000000000000) may be used. ICE/NIF must not be added before the relevant code.
  • MAWB/HAWB documents and FWB/FHL messages of shipments inbound to Algeria must not contain phrases such as CONSOL, CONSOLIDATION, CONSOLIDATED. If a shipment is consolidated, HAWB detailed goods descriptions must be written in the MAWB / FWB Goods description detail.

  
  MOROCCO (MA)
  • Shipments bound for Morocco must include a 6-digit HS Code in both FWB/MAWB and FHL/HAWB.
  • The FWB/MAWB and FHL/HAWB must also include an ICE Code (Fiscal Identification Number). This code is required for both commercial and non-commercial consignees. If the consignee is subject to the ICE Code, a 15-digit code must be provided. If the consignee is a legal entity or government office, a code of fifteen zeroes (000000000000000) may be used. ICE must not be added before the relevant code.

  
  EGYPT (EG)
  • According to latest notification made by Egyptian Customs Administration as of January 01, 2026, the following information must be sent in FWB and FHL messages for all shipments arriving in Egypt (excluding human remains, smuggled monuments returned to Egypt, postal shipments).
  Shipment Type    Message Type    Required OCI Elements
  Direct Shipments    FWB (Direct AWB)    ACID + Consignor Code
  Consolidated Shipments    FWB (Master AWB)    Egyptian Freight Forwarder Tax ID (no ACID required)
      FHL (House AWB)    ACID + Consignor Code
  •    ACID: a unique 19-digit number identifying the shipment issued by Egypt’s ACI system
  •    Egyptian Freight Forwarder code (for consolidated shipments): a 9-digit number issued by the Egyptian Tax Authority uniquely identifying all registered importers in Egypt
  •    Consignor code: either VAT or Registration number issued by the appropriate authority for the shipper/consignor (exporter) in their home country.
  The relevant fields in the OCI line are as follows:
  #    Information Identifier    Customs, Security & Regulatory Control Information Identifier    Format
  1    IMP    M    OCI/EG/IMP/M/19 digits (ACID#)
  2    CNE    T    OCI/EG/CNE/T/Enterprise Code #
  3    SHP    T    OCI/XX/SHP/T/Enterprise Code #

  Where XX is the ISO Code for the country where the Enterprise code (e.g. VAT number, Commercial registration number) was issued.
  Example: 
  1.    In case consignment doesn’t include HAWB “MAWB only, not consolidation”
  •    FWB message is required to include the following:
  #    Information    Format
  1    ACID Number    OCI/EG/IMP/M/4891340332021120017
  2    Consignor Code    OCI/CN/SHP/T/CN-01-91350181611839374R
   
  2.    Consolidated consignment
  •    FWB message is required to include the following:
  #    Information    Format
  1    Egyptian Freight Forwarder Code    OCI/EG/CNE/T/785852638
  Remark: Egyptian Freight Forwarders are identified by their Taxation ID which will be same as consignee.
   
  •    (FZB / FHL are required to include the following:
  #    Information    Format
  1    ACID Number    OCI/EG/IMP/M/4891340332021120017
  2    Shipper Code    OCI/CN/SHP/T/CN-01-91350181611839374R

  
  KENYA (KE)
  • For Consol shipments bound for Kenya, a PIN Number (Kenya Revenue Authority Personal Identification Number) must be included in the FWB/MAWB. This number is 11 characters long and must start and end with a letter.

  
  ARGENTINA (AR)
  • Shipments bound for Argentina must include the CUIT Number (Tax Identification Number) of the consignee. CUIT NUMBER information must be 15 digits with the number including the phrase “CUIT”, special characters such as hyphens, spaces, etc. should not be used. Example; “CUIT12345678910”
  • Shipments bound for Argentina must include a 6-digit HS Code.

  
  BRAZIL (BR)
  • Shipments bound for Brasil must include a CNPJ No(Tax Identification Number) of the Consignee. CNPJ NUMBER information must be specified to include the phrase “CNPJ”, dashes, spaces, etc. must not use special characters. Example; “CNPJ0000000000000”.

  
  CAMEROUN (CM)
  • Shipments bound for Cameroun must include HS Code. HS CODE character limit is from 6 to 11. “98010000200” can be used for DIP shipments and “98010000300” for HUM.

  
  *ALL STATIONS*
  • As a general rule of customs authorities, the description of a shipment should not be "Spare Parts" or "General Cargo." Clearer and more descriptive terms must be used.
   

• When should the FWB and FHL messages be sent to the airline's system?

  FWB and FHL messages should be sent to our system before submission of the documents with the latest information after the warehouse receipt is obtained.

  Note: The warehouse receipt can be printed out on the portal.

• How can it be checked that whether the messages have been sent to/received by the airline's system, or not?

  To make sure that your FWB and FHL messages have been sent to our system, an "FMA" message is sent automatically to each of your messages by our system as a response. In case of any inaccurate message received by our system, an "FNA" message is sent automatically to the shipper.

  Note: The FMA message is sent to prove that the message has been sent to the airline, only. It does not provide any information regarding the fact that the message is accurate, inaccurate or imperfect. 

• How should shipper's/consignee's address details be sent in the message?

  Address details should be indicated clearly. 

  Example for inaccurate message	Example for accurate message
  SHP /ABC TASIMACILIK /AAA SOK NO 20 /ISTANBUL /TR/34000 CNE /ABC LLC /BBB TOWN /XYZ CITY/NY /US/12345	SHP /ABC TASIMACILIK /AAA SOK NO 20 /ISTANBUL /TR/34000 CNE /ABC LLC /11 AAA AVENUE BBB TOWN STE 201 /XYZ CITY/NY /US/12345

  The FWB/16 version has a certain limit of characters in the fields such as address and company name, and it sends all details to the airline's system according to certain limit of characters has been reached. Therefore, it is highly important to ensure that important details are indicated in line with such limit of characters in the address and company name fields.

  We recommend you to make use of the FWB/17 version enabling you to enter a higher number of characters, as an alternative to the FWB/16 version, to prevent any potential problem in provision of information.

• Is it mandatory to enter shipper's/consignee's postal code?

  Shipper's and consignee's postal codes are required to be indicated in all shipments.

  Example for inaccurate message	Example for accurate message
  SHP /ABC TASIMACILIK /AAA SOK NO 20 /ISTANBUL /TR CNE /ABC LLC /11 AAA AVENUE /XYZ CITY /DE/1	SHP /ABC TASIMACILIK /AAA SOK NO 20 ISTANBUL /TR/34000 CNE /ABC LLC /11 AAA AVENUE /XYZ CITY /DE/12345

• What is the most common mistake in the company's trade name field?

  Indication of address details in the company's trade name field is common in many messages. You should pay maximum attention as it might cause to problems at the point of arrival.

  Example for inaccurate message	Example for accurate message
  SHP /ABC TASIMACILIK /AAA SOK NO 20 /ISTANBUL /TR/34000 CNE /ABC LLC AAA AVENUE STE 201 /11 AAA AVENUE /XYZ CITY/NY /US/12345	SHP /ABC TASIMACILIK /AAA SOK NO 20 ISTANBUL /TR/34000 CNE /ABC LLC /11 AAA AVENUE /XYZ CITY/NY /US/12345

• What are the consideration points in HAWB numbers?

  HAWB numbers should be identical with the ones indicated on the documents. The common mistake is to indicate only the numbers in the HAWB numbers which start with a letter and continues with numbers. 

  With respect to any shipment with its HAWB number ABC5441101;

  Example for inaccurate message	Example for accurate message
  FHL/4 MBI/235-1234568ISTFRA/T1K135 HBS/5441101/ISTFRA/1/PLAZMA POWDER	FHL/4 MBI/235-1234568ISTFRA/T1K135 HBS/ABC5441101/ISTFRA/1/K135