Held by Customs
The cargo is currently undergoes customs inspection or is held awaiting import documentation, duty payment, or government clearance. It cannot be released from the airport terminal until customs issues a release note.
What Does AWR Mean in Air Cargo?
The status code AWR (representing Held by Customs) is a standard milestone defined by the IATA Cargo Interchange Message Procedures (Cargo-IMP). It serves as a key check-in event scanned by airline personnel or cargo terminal operators. Tracking this event provides shippers and logistics providers with end-to-end visibility, ensuring that transit connections, cargo transfer, and customs clearance proceed in an orderly manner.
What to Do Next? (Consignee Advice)
Recommended Steps:
Contact your customs broker immediately to check for outstanding duties, missing commercial invoices, or regulatory inspection holds.
Carrier-Specific Naming Quirks
Although the IATA Cargo-IMP standard prescribes the status code AWR, different global airlines and cargo handlers often display this milestone under customized labels. Here is how major carriers translate it:
Lufthansa refers to this as 'Customs Hold', DHL Aviation displays 'Customs Clearance Process Started', and Qatar Airways shows 'Undergoing Customs Inspection'.
Typical Next Status Milestone
In the standard lifecycle of an air freight shipment, once the cargo passes through the Held by Customs (AWR) milestone, it is expected to transition into the following phase:
➡️ AWD (Customs Cleared) or NFD (Consignee Notified)
Frequently Asked Questions
On your Air Waybill (AWB), the status code AWR represents Held by Customs. This status notifies shippers and consignees that The cargo is currently undergoes customs inspection or is held awaiting import documentation, duty payment, or government clearance. It cannot be released from the airport terminal until customs issues a release note.
The time a shipment remains in AWR depends on carrier schedules and transit phases. Typically, it transitions within 12 to 36 hours. If a shipment remains in this status for several days without updates, we recommend contacting your freight forwarder or broker for clarification.
Track Air Cargo
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