CSMS Message: 00-000912

ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE NUMBER 00-0231, DATED MARCH 13, 2000, INFORMED
ABI SOFTWARE PROVIDERS AND SELF-PROGRAMMED FILERS THAT CONVERSION OF
ABI PROGRAMS TO MQ-SERIES WOULD RESULT IN STRICTER VALIDATION OF THE
STRUCTURE OF SUBMITTED ABI TRANSACTIONS. PRIOR TO MQ CONVERSION,
CERTAIN CONDITIONS NOT CONFORMING TO THE INSTRUCTIONS DETAILED IN THE
CUSTOMS AND TRADE AUTOMATED INTERFACE REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT (CATAIR)
HAVE BEEN PERMITTED TO PROCESS SUCCESSFULLY THROUGH ABI. AS STATED
IN ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE NO. 00-0231, THIS LENIENCY WILL DISCONTINUE
AND DATA NOT STRUCTURED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CATAIR STANDARD WILL
BE DISCARDED AND NO RESPONSE RETURNED TO THE FILER.

ON AUGUST 16, CUSTOMS IMPLEMENTED THE FIRST ABI APPLICATION CONVERTED
FOR MQ, THE ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE QUERY (MI). AS A CONSEQUENCE WE'VE
DISCOVERED THAT SOME FILERS ARE SUBMITTING ABI TRANSACTIONS CONTAINING
IMPROPERLY STRUCTURED PRIORITY CARDS. THE 'PRIORITY PROCESSING'
CHAPTER OF THE CATAIR CLEARLY DEFINES THE CORRECT STRUCTURE OF THE
PRIORITY CARD AS:

++PRIORITY XXX

TO CLARIFY:

POSITION 1 = + (PLUS SIGN)
POSITION 2 = + (PLUS SIGN)
POSITION 3-10 = PRIORITY (LITERAL)
POSITION 11 = (SPACE FILL)
POSITION 12-14 = XXX (WHERE XXX REPRESENTS A CODE FOR
THE LEVEL OF PRIORITY REQUESTED)

CURRENT VALIDATION PERMITS INCLUSION OF THREE PLUS SIGNS (+) INSTEAD
OF TWO AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CARD, AND PERMITS A SPACE BETWEEN THE
LAST PLUS SIGN AND THE LITERAL 'PRIORITY'. THIS IS NO LONGER
PERMISSIBLE.

FOR THE NEXT 90 DAYS IMPROPERLY FORMATTED PRIORITY CARDS WILL NOT BE
DISCARDED, BUT THE REQUESTED LEVEL OF PRIORITY WILL NOT BE APPLIED TO
THE TRANSACTION. INSTEAD, ALL TRANSACTIONS PRECEDED BY AN INVALID
PRIORITY CARD WILL BE TREATED AS NON-PRIORITY (XXX = OFF). BEGINNING
90 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS MESSAGE ALL ABI TRANSACTIONS PRECEDED
BY AN INVALID PRIORITY CARD WILL BE DISCARDED.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS MESSAGE PLEASE CONTACT YOUR
ASSIGNED CLIENT REPRESENTATIVE.