According to a new law, published in the GAZETTE of June 25th,2002 with power as from July 1st 2002 , in ALL cases of WRONG DECLARATIONS a MINIMUM PENALTY of EURO 500 is payable directly to the MINISTRY OF FINANCE for EVERY CASE SEPARATELY within 24 hours after fault noticed by Customs or Port Authorities. This means following cases:
1) WRONG MARKS + NUMBERS
2) WRONG NUMBER OF PACKAGES
3) MISSING DECLARATION OF GOODS "IN TRANSIT"
4) DECLARATION "IN TRANSIT" OF GOODS WITH DESTINATION PORT/CUSTOMS PIRAEUS
5) DECLARATION OF A CONSOLBOX as FCL
6) ANY DECLARATION EFFECTED LATER THAN ASKED BY THE LAW

Example:
A Consol box arrives PIRAEUS by LINE X and on Master box is declared as FCL/FCL Lines Agent declares box as FCL/FCL one (1) row on PORT/CUSTOMS
MANIFEST In order to change this and let box be unstuffed Lines Agent pays EURO 500 During unstuffing, authorities realize that there are 11 rows instead of 1 row and unstuff : 1 row short landed and 11 rows over landed = penalty 12 X 500 = 6000 EURO !!!!

Other example:
Sending office issuing HB/L for 2 Pallets chemicals 2.344 Kos in Transit to ODESSA Manifesting 2 Pal chemicals 2.344 Kos in Transit to ODESSA with Marks & NOS : " NO MARKS " or " ADRESS"

During unstaffing officers/tallimans noticing 32 barrels chemicals 2.344 kos with Marks 1-16 DENOL (?)

Penalties to be paid
a) 2 Pal short landed EURO 500
b) 32 Barrels over landed EURO 500
c) 32 Barells not declared "IN TRANSIT" EURO 500

ALL ABOVE ARE MINIMUM PENALTIES TO BE PAID IMMEDIATELY IN ORDER
TO BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE WITH HANDLING. THE CUSTOMS AUTHORITIES KEEP THEIR RIGHT TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE CASE BY CASE AND DECIDE FOR ADDITIONAL PENALTIES.

We have send A LOT of messages and A LOT of articles are published RINGING THE BELLS about the HIGH IMPORTANCE of PROPER DOCUMENTATION and SHIPMENTS MARKING.

We made a statistic and found out that IN AVERAGE EVERY INCOMING BOX HAS ONE CASE at least WHICH WOULD CAUSE THE PAYEMENT OF AT LEAST EURO 500!!!!!
So please be informed hereby, that we'll be obliged to immediately debit the fines to the sending office. In case the sending office is a hub and the fault is caused by the first origin office, then the hub has to further debit the amount to them.

In order to avoid (as much as possible) faults driving to such fines please try to follow some rules:

1) ALL documents (including MBL, Hbs/L, MANIFESTS, MBL-ATTACHED LISTS) has to be in our Import dept. hands latest 72 hours BEFORE VESSELS ARRIVAL (In case of Short Sea Boxes on SAILING DAY) Including REMARKS ON EVENTUAL AMMENDMENTS OR CHANGES (braking down pallets or correcting number of packages or correcting marks + Nos etc )

2) IF Shipping lines insist to issue FCL/FCL MBLs, then at lest they have to write in the MBLs body "CONSOLIDATED CARGO AS PER ATTACHED LIST" and the LIST has to be attached and stamped by the Lines Agent. Please ask the sending Lines Agent to immediately (upon sailing) inform receiving Lines Agent in PIRAEUS that box is a consol box and HAS TO BE DECLARED as such TO BE UNSTAFFED at PIRAEUS PORT WAREHOUSES. This is easy, as ALL SHIPPING LINE AGENTS insist to process unstaffing boxes by themselves NOT ALLOWING US TO DO SO.

3) On the ATTACHED LIST please do not forget to separately mention "PIRAEUS IN TRASIT"
in the description of ALL shipments with final destinations others than " PIRAEUS " (Shipments which have to be ONCARRIED ). If not, then apart of the fact that we'll NOT GET THE SCEDULED ONCARRYING VESSEL you'll be debited with additional EURO 500.

4) On the attached list to the MBL MARKS + NOS as well as NUMBER AND DESCRIPTION OF PACKAGES have to correspond to the REALITY. Otherwise penalties + delays will arise.

OTHERS
1/ All Piraeus LCL shipment must show "PIRAEUS FREE OUT"

It is not accepted to show "PIRAEUS CFS", "CFS/CFS", "LCL/LCL" or "TERMINAL/TERMINAL" on HBL. If it is shown by mistake, additional charges of USD12 /cbm would be debited to loading agent’s account. It is to recover the cost that we cannot get it from consignee.

2/ All LCL shipments tranship at Piraeus has to show "PIRAEUS IN TRANSIT" on
the body on your BL.If it is shown, addtional USD 9 /cbm will be added on normal
transhipment rate.

3/ For all Thessaloniki and/or Athens LCL shipments via Piraeus, HBL should
show "PIRAEUS PORT & CUSTOMS FORMALITIES FOR CONSIGNEE ACCOUNT" Fail to do so will cost you addtional USD 17 / cbm for Piraeus THC
cost.