Vessel manifest

A vessel manifest is the carrier’s master list of all cargo aboard one ship for a voyage, consolidating every bill of lading into a single declaration filed with customs and port authorities at the load and discharge ports. It states for each consignment the bill number, shipper, consignee, notify party, marks, packages, description, and weight, and serves as the legal record of what the vessel carries. It is the document customs match against the actual outturn and the security filings (the US 24-Hour Rule, EU ICS2). It is broader than the container manifest, which lists only the boxes for terminal planning.