---
title: "Port filings"
description: "A port filing is a notification to the port that a certain container will be on board of a certain vessel going to a certain location with corresponding export declaration documents. It is a step after export clearance."
language: en
canonical: https://www.flexport.com/glossary/port-filings/
lifecycle: live
dateModified: 2026-10-08T14:52:03Z
topics:
  - "Customs & Compliance"
  - "Europe"
  - "Customs Brokerage"
  - "Ocean Freight"
---

# Port filings

A port filing is a notification to the port that a certain container will be on board of a certain vessel going to a certain location with corresponding export declaration documents. It is a step after export clearance.

## What is a port filing?

A port filing is a notification to the port that a certain container will be on board of a certain vessel going to a certain location with corresponding export declaration documents. It is a step after export clearance.

## Why do port filings matter?

Carriers and port authorities use the filing to build the vessel's loading plan and to confirm that each container has cleared export. A missed or late filing can keep a container from being loaded, so it rolls to a later vessel.

A freight forwarder or customs broker usually submits the port filing once customs accepts the export declaration, and before the container's cutoff date. Check the carrier's cutoff dates, since a container that reaches the terminal after cutoff can miss its sailing.

Back to the [full glossary](https://www.flexport.com/glossary/).

---

*This is a markdown version of [https://www.flexport.com/glossary/port-filings/](https://www.flexport.com/glossary/port-filings/) for AI/LLM consumption.*