CSMS Message: 06-001208

TO: ALL ABI FILERS

FROM: OFFICE OF INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY, CLIENT REPRESENTATIVE
BRANCH, LOS ANGELES/LONG BEACH FIELD OFFICE

SUBJECT: USE OF ABI BILL OF LADING UPDATE APPLICATION

***THIS IS A RE-ISSUE OF ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE 06-1182
***FILERS ARE NOT ADHERING TO THE INSTRUCTIONS IN PARAGRAPHS
***2, 3, AND 4 OF THAT MESSAGE, SO WE ARE ISSUING IT AGAIN
***IN ITS ENTIRETY.

BACKGROUND:

THE ABI APPLICATION 'BILL OF LADING UPDATE' (CODE LN) WAS DEVELOPED
TO ENABLE ABI FILERS TO AMEND CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF AN ABI-TRANSMITTED
ENTRY. THESE ELEMENTS INCLUDE BILL OF LADING, AIR WAYBILL, RAIL OR
PRO BILL NUMBERS, QUANTITIES, UNITS, VOYAGE OR FLIGHT NUMBERS, FIRMS
CODES, AND ESTIMATED ARRIVAL DATES ON SOME AIR SHIPMENTS. THE
APPLICATION IS DESIGNED TO ALLOW FILERS TO CORRECT DATA THAT
THEY DISCOVER TO HAVE BEEN INCORRECT AT THE TIME OF INITIAL
TRANSMISSION.

IN RECENT MONTHS, CLIENT REPRESENTATIVE OFFICES AROUND THE COUNTRY
HAVE NOTED THAT FILERS ARE USING THE BILL OF LADING UPDATE AS A
MEANS TO ATTEMPT TO POST OR REPOST A RELEASE STATUS TO THE IMPORTING
AMS CARRIER. THE SCENARIO VARIES, BUT NORMALLY INVOLVES A FILER
CONTACTING A CARRIER FOR A RELEASE. THE CARRIER REPORTS NOT
SEEING THE RELEASE, SO THE FILER SENDS A BILL OF LADING UPDATE
IN HOPES OF CAUSING THE RELEASED ENTRY DATA TO APPEAR IN THE
CARRIER'S RECORDS.

SENDING A BILL OF LADING UPDATE WITHOUT ANY CHANGES TO THE
ORIGINAL DATA RARELY HELPS IN THE AMS ENVIRONMENT. IF THE
CARRIER DOES NOT SEE THE RELEASE, SENDING ONE OR MORE BILL OF
LADING UPDATES WILL NOT CAUSE THE RELEASE TO APPEAR (UNLESS THE
UPDATE CORRECTS THE BILL NUMBER, AS STATED EARLIER). IN FACT,
IN MOST CASES, SENDING MULTIPLE BILL OF LADING UPDATES ONLY
CAUSES QUANTITY DISCREPANCIES THAT FORCE THE CARRIER AND/OR FILER
TO CONTACT A CLIENT REPRESENTATIVE FOR AN EXPLANATION.

IF A FILER HAS A VALID ABI RELEASE WHICH IS NOT VISIBLE TO THE AMS
CARRIER, AND THE ENTRY REFERENCES THE CORRECT SHIPPING DOCUMENT
NUMBER, THE FILER SHOULD FIRST CONTACT THEIR CLIENT REPRESENTATIVE
TO REVIEW POSSIBLE OBSTRUCTIONS TO THE RELEASE POSTING.

TWO OF THE MOST COMMON INSTANCES THAT RESULT IN A LACK OF
CARRIER NOTIFICATION ON ENTRY RELEASES ARE:

A) IN OCEAN/RAIL AMS, IF THE CARRIER HAS AMENDED THE AFFECTED
BILL OF LADING THE DAY BEFORE (OR ON OR AFTER) THE ESTIMATED
ARRIVAL DATE, ENTRIES PROCESSED FOR RELEASE AFTER THE AMENDMENT
TRANSACTION WILL NOT BE PASSED TO THE CARRIER UNTIL THE CARRIER
TRANSMITS AN AMS VESSEL OR RAILROAD ARRIVAL NOTIFICATION.

B) IF THE ENTRY WAS TRANSMITTED WITH AN INCORRECT PORT OF
UNLADING, THE RELEASE WILL NOT BE TRANSMITTED TO THE AMS
CARRIER UNTIL A CBP OFFICER CORRECTS THE UNLADING PORT
CODE.

IN NEITHER OF THE SITUATIONS DESCRIBED ABOVE WILL THE BILL OF
OF LADING UPDATE APPLICATION CAUSE A RELEASE TO APPEAR IN THE
AMS CARRIER'S FILES.

IF THE FILER HAS INITIALLY TRANSMITTED AN INCORRECT BILL OF
LADING, AIR WAYBILL,OR PRO BILL NUMBER OR CARRIER CODE, THEN
USING THE BILL OF LADING UPDATE TRANSACTION IS THE PROPER WAY
TO CORRECT THE ERROR. FOR AIR AMS SITUATIONS, IF THE FIRMS
CODE ORIGINALLY TRANSMITTED DOES NOT AGREE WITH THE ACTUAL
LOCATION OF THE CARGO, THE BILL OF LADING UPDATE TRANSACTION
CAN BE USED TO SEND THE CORRECT FIRMS CODE.

FOR SITUATIONS NOT DESCRIBED ABOVE, THE FILER SHOULD REQUEST
THAT THE AMS CARRIER'S REPRESENTATIVE CALL OR EMAIL THE CLIENT
REPRESENTATIVE FOR ASSISTANCE.

QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS MESSAGE SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO YOUR
ASSIGNED CLIENT REPRESENTATIVE.