Evergreen Strengthens Compliance Review for SOC Containers – Certain SOC Boxes Banned for Booking

​To strengthen compliance management amid global economic sanctions, Evergreen Marine Corporation recently issued a reminder regarding its receiving policy for Shipper-Owned Containers (SOC), clarifying further review requirements for SOC booking and releasing a list of prohibited container owner codes. Evergreen reserves the right to reject booking requests or suspend shipments for any SOC containers failing compliance standards.

On July 28, Evergreen Marine published a customer notice titled Guidelines for Receiving Shipper-Owned Containers (SOC), elaborating on rules for SOC booking and acceptance. Customers are advised to complete full compliance verifications prior to booking to prevent shipment disruptions stemming from sanctions-related risks.

Per the notice, Evergreen will not conduct business with any individuals or entities designated under applicable sanction regimes. It also declines shipments linked to entities directly or collectively owned 50% or more by sanctioned parties.

Regarding SOC acceptance, Evergreen will reject any shipper-owned containers that could expose the carrier to economic sanction liabilities. Before tendering SOC containers to Evergreen, customers must conduct thorough due diligence to confirm that both the container owner and its corresponding SOC prefix owner code are not sanctioned parties, nor entities incorporated under the laws of Iran, the DPRK, Cuba or Syria.

For easy reference, Evergreen has published a partial list of SOC owner codes that are temporarily prohibited, including: HDXU, IRSU, ALXU, XBIU, SBAU, BYTU, CBKU, CGVU, NMKU, RZZU, SSFU, SSGU, FESU, FCCU, RZDU, BXAU, VOLU, VOTU, SLVU.

Evergreen stresses that the above list is for reference only and not exhaustive, and it may be revised at any time based on real-world circumstances. Customers planning new SOC bookings may consult local Evergreen sales representatives for the latest restricted code roster if needed.

For voyages operated by Evergreen’s liner alliance partners, booking rules for SOC containers shall follow the specific compliance standards and SOC code restrictions enforced by the cooperating carriers, as sanction compliance policies vary across shipping lines.

The notice also states Evergreen may conduct additional verification of all SOC-related documentation. When necessary, the carrier can require shippers or booking agents to submit supplementary proof of container ownership, owner credentials and other supporting materials. Evergreen may independently decline booking applications or hold SOC shipments pending full document submission and clearance.

Industry insiders note that liner carriers are continuously tightening SOC screening protocols amid increasingly stringent global sanctions compliance standards. Shippers and freight forwarders utilizing shipper-owned containers must pre-verify container owner codes and ownership details to align with the latest carrier compliance rules, avoiding booking rejections and disrupted shipment schedules.

For full-service cross-border logistics, container booking and supply chain compliance consultation, visit our official website: www.stusupplychain.com