When cargo arrives at any specified port, the shipping line or an aircraft line has to make a report including all required details of cargo with customs. The reporting of all such details is called Import General Manifest (IGM). IGM contains all the details of a sender, receiver, number & kind of packages, goods’ description, ship details and much more.
After the completion of the report, the importer has to file up the required documents in order to get their imported goods. All the information written on the IGM must be filled out again for the clearance of goods. In case of any mistake, the clearance documents will not be accepted. That is why; it is required to amend the wrong details with customs before filing up clearance documents.
Custom authorities accept IGM only when the ship is anchored at the allotted port to discharge the cargo otherwise they will not accept IGM. This rule is strictly followed by the customs authorities but in some conditions like to take the fuel or due to some emergency, they can accept IGM. There are two ports of Karachi: Port Muhammad Bin Qasim (KPQI) and Karachi Port (KPT), where the IGM information of ships is held securely.