BIC Facility Code
Detail about the structure of the BIC Facility Code (BFC)
Background
The BIC Facility Code began life in the 1980s as the “LoCode” identifier under ISO 9897. Now a “child code” of the UN/Locode, the BIC Facility Code is used to identify container facilities such as depots, container yards, container freight stations, M&R vendors and other facilities in the container supply chain. The BIC Facility Code is complementary to the SMDG Ocean Terminal Code, which is also a child code of the UN/Locode. The BIC Facility Code covers container facility types other than ocean terminals.
Code Structure
The BIC Facility Code is a 9 character code that identifies a container depot or facility, as it is a child code of the UN/LOCODE it identifies facilities by extending the 5 character UN/LOCODE to further identify container facilities.
Lets take an example to explain the structure:
GBLIVJMDA
The first 5 characters are the UN/LOCODE and describe a country and city/town
GB - The ISO Country Code for the United Kingdom
LIV - The code for Liverpool (in the UK)
The next 4 characters are assigned by the BIC to identify a container facility within that UN/LOCODE
JMDA
NOTE: The BIC Code is never separated it is always presented as a 9 character combined code, so only GBLIVJMDA would be considered to be the BIC Facility Code.
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