UAE MPCI pre-load cargo filing: what glass importers must provide

Since 1 October 2026, the UAE’s Maritime Pre-Load Cargo Information programme, known as MPCI, is mandatory. Every container going to the UAE, or passing through a UAE port, must be declared before it is loaded at the port of departure. The grace period ended on 30 September. For a glass importer in Dubai, Sharjah or Abu Dhabi, an incomplete file can now mean a container left on the quay.

What MPCI is

Who files: the shipping line and, for house bills of lading, the freight forwarder. You do not file yourself, but you must give them complete information.
When: at least 24 hours before loading, for the lowest-level house bill.
Which cargo: containerised imports, transshipments and cargo staying on board during a UAE port call.
If it is missing: lines can refuse the booking, the container can be rolled to the next vessel, and clearance can be delayed.

Glass curtain wall of a building against a blue sky

The information requested

The filing includes the shipper and consignee details, a precise cargo description, HS codes where required, container and seal numbers, and the bill of lading references. For glass, a description such as glass or building materials is not enough: each reference should be described clearly.

What we send you before loading

Precise descriptions: clear float, laminated, Low-E, reflective or mirror, with thickness and sheet size.
HS code per reference: on the proforma, the invoice and the packing list.
Weights and crates: gross weight and number of crates per reference.
Consignee details checked: we confirm your company name, address and contact with you before the booking.

A Noxem Group order in 45 seconds, from our warehouse to the port.

MPCI and the Hormuz crisis

Many containers for the UAE are now discharged at Khor Fakkan or Fujairah, outside the Strait of Hormuz, then trucked to Dubai. MPCI applies there too. The data must therefore be ready even earlier, so that a last-minute change of port does not delay the filing.

Rules are being phased in: always check the latest instructions with your shipping line or forwarder.

Sources: Transport and Logistics ME · CrimsonLogic · Future Forwarding