CSMS Message: 04-000254

TO: ALL ABI FILERS

FROM: TRADE SUPPORT BRANCH

SUBJECT: FDA INTERFACE REJECTS

**NOTE** - THE MESSAGE BELOW WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED AS ADMINISTRATIVE
MESSAGE 99-1004 ON NOVEMBER 16, 1999. FILERS WHO ARE STILL SENDING
FOREIGN BASED CONSIGNEE IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS IN THEIR TRANSMISSIONS
TO ABI ARE ADVISED TO FOLLOW THE INTRUCTIONS BELOW IMMEDIATELY.

THE FDA INTERFACE BECAME OPERATIONAL NATIONWIDE IN 1994. APPROXIMATELY
99% OF ALL FDA ELIGIBLE ENTRIES ARE NOW SENT THROUGH THE FDA INTERFACE.
THERE IS A PERSISTENT PROBLEM WITH FDA REJECTS. THE MAJORITY OF REJECTS
RESULT FROM TWO SCENARIOS:

1) AN AUTOMATIC REJECT, KNOWN COMMONLY AS A 'DT' REJECT, OCCURS WHEN A
FILER SENDS A FOREIGN-BASED CONSIGNEE. THE RECORD LAYOUT FOR THE 'DT'
REJECT CAN BE FOUND IN THE CATAIR, PAGE OGA 9 AND PAGES OGA 37-38.
ALTHOUGH ABI ACCEPTS A FOREIGN-BASED CONSIGNEE FOR CUSTOMS PURPOSES,
FDA DOES NOT. THEY MUST RECEIVE A U.S. ADDRESSED CONSIGNEE OR THE ENTRY
AUTOMATICALLY GOES INTO FDA REJECT STATUS AND FDA INSPECTORS CANNOT
PROCESS THE ENTRY.

THE SOLUTION: DO NOT SEND A FOREIGN-BASED CONSIGNEE IN AN FDA
INTERFACE ENTRY. THIS WILL SAVE YOU MANY HOURS OF FRUSTRATION IN
TRYING TO CORRECT THE ENTRY. SEND THE IMPORTER NUMBER OF THE ENTITY
IN THE UNITED STATES AS THE CONSIGNEE. IF YOU CANNOT OBTAIN THE
IMPORTER NUMBER YOU CAN SEND THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE UNITED STATES
ENTITY IN THE "FDA ESTABLISHMENT IDENTIFIER ADD" TRANSACTION, KNOWN
AS THE 'PP' TRANSACTION (SEE CATAIR, PAGES OGQ 15-21) TO OBTAIN A TWELVE
DIGIT IDENTIFIER NUMBER KNOWN COMMONLY AS THE "FEI NUMBER". THIS NUMBER
SHOULD ALWAYS BE SENT IN THE ORIGINAL ENTRY TRANSACTION IN THE FD03
RECORD, POSITIONS 15-26 (SEE CATAIR, PAGE OGA 34), AND WILL PREVENT AN
FDA REJECT EVEN IF YOU HAVE SENT A FOREIGN-BASED CONSIGNEE. IF YOU HAVE
ALREADY RECEIVED THE 'DT' REJECT YOU MUST SEND THE FEI NUMBER IN AN
"OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY CORRECTION" TRANSACTION, COMMONLY KNOWN AS A
"CP" TRANSACTION (SEE CATAIR, PAGES OGA 39-41), IN ORDER FOR FDA TO
PROCESS THE ENTRY. IN THE PAST FDA HAS PROCESSED SOME OF THESE REJECTED
ENTRIES MANUALLY BECAUSE OF CLAIMS THAT THE FILER COULD NOT CORRECT THE
ENTRIES. THIS WILL CEASE IN THE NEAR FUTURE. IF AN ENTRY IS IN FDA
REJECT STATUS THE FILER WILL BE REQUIRED TO CORRECT THE ENTRY THROUGH
ABI OR THE GOODS WILL NOT BE RELEASED BY FDA. IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR
WITH THE 'DT', 'PP' OR 'CP' TRANSACTIONS WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU
CONTACT YOUR SOFTWARE SUPPORT OFFICE.

2) THE SECOND REJECT SITUATION OCCURS WHEN CUSTOMS PERFORMS, AT THE
FILER'S REQUEST, A "PEN AND INK" CHANGE TO A SELECTIVITY LINE(S) THAT
INVOLVES AN FDA REGULATED TARIFF NUMBER. THIS ACTION ALSO PUTS THE
ENTRY INTO FDA REJECT STATUS. IT MUST BE CORRECTED USING THE 'CP'
TRANSACTION. YOU MUST SEND THE NEW OR CHANGED TARIFF NUMBER(S) ALONG
WITH ALL OTHER TARIFF NUMBERS AND APPLICABLE FDA RECORDS IN THE EXACT
ORDER AS IN THE CHANGED SELECTIVITY RECORD. AGAIN, FDA HAS MANUALLY
RELEASED ENTRIES THAT WERE NOT CORRECTED BUT THIS WILL SOON STOP.
WE URGE YOU TO FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE OGA CORRECTION PROCEDURES
SO NONE OF YOUR REJECTED FDA ENTRIES ARE DELAYED.

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