Bureau International des Containers (BIC)

Founded under the auspices of the International Chamber of Commerce in 1933 as a neutral, non-profit, international organization, the BIC’s mission is to enable efficiency in container transportation while promoting safety, security, standardization and sustainability. The BIC has published the BIC Code Register since 1970, and was appointed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 1972 as the industry’s global container prefix registry– a role further endorsed by the World Customs Organization (WCO) through requirements in the Customs Conventions on Containers and the Istanbul Convention. The BIC Code database is consulted thousands of times daily throughout the world.