CSMS Message: 93-000185

OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, ANALYSES OF ABI TRANSMISSIONS HAS REVEALED
CERTAIN AREAS THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED BY ABI FILERS AND/OR THEIR SOFTWARE
VENDORS. THESE ISSUES CAUSE UNDUE OVERHEAD FOR CUSTOMS PROCESSING
AND SOME OF THE PROBLEMS HAVE CAUSED SOME ABI SYSTEMS TO END ABNORMALLY,
FORCING EMERGENCY ACTION AT THE CUSTOMS DATA CENTER AND TEMPORARILY
DISRUPTING SERVICE TO OTHER ABI FILERS. PLEASE GIVE THE FOLLOWING YOUR
IMMEDIATE, CAREFUL ATTENTION. IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER ANY OF
THESE ISSUES APPLY TO YOUR FIRM, FIRST CONTACT YOUR SOFTWARE VENDOR AND
THEN DISCUSS THE MATTER WITH YOUR CLIENT REPRESENTATIVE.

1. WITHIN THE SAME TRANSMISSION (I.E., CONNECTION TO THE CUSTOMS DATA
CENTER), IDENTICAL TRANSACTIONS ARE BEING SENT MULTIPLE TIMES. AS AN
EXAMPLE, THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN THE SAME ENTRY SUMMARY IS SENT FIVE OR
SIX TIMES IN THE SAME TRANSMISSION AND CERTIFIED FOR CARGO RELEASE EVERY
TIME. THE SAME ENTRY HAS ALSO BEEN SENT AS A CARGO RELEASE APPLICATION
WITH AN AUTOMATIC CERTIFICATION REQUEST OR WITH SEPARATE CERTIFICATION
APPLICATIONS WITHIN THE VERY SAME TRANSMISSION. THERE SHOULD NEVER BE AN
OCCASION FOR ANY ONE TRANSMISSION TO CONTAIN THE SAME ENTRY SUMMARY
OR THE SAME ENTRY MULTIPLE TIMES. IF THE ENTRY SUMMARY OR ENTRY HAS
BEEN UPDATED ON A FILER'S SYSTEM, ONLY THE LAST OCCURENCE SHOULD BE SENT
THROUGH ABI.

2. IN A FEW CASES, NOT ONLY HAVE THE SAME TRANSACTIONS BEEN SENT MULTIPLE
TIMES WITHIN THE SAME TRANSMISSION, BUT THE SEPARATE TRANSACTIONS HAVE
BEEN PLACED IN DIFFERENT "PRIORITY" LEVELS BY THE FILER OR THE FILER'S
SYSTEM. THIS MIGHT OCCUR IF A FILER, THINKING THAT A TRANSACTION HAD BEEN
SENT TO CUSTOMS EARLIER BUT NO RESPONSE HAD BEEN RECEIVED, DECIDED TO RE-
SEND THE TRANSACTION WITH A MORE URGENT PRIORITY LEVEL. IF THE ORIGINAL
TRANSMISSION DID NOT HAPPEN PROPERLY, BOTH TRANSACTIONS MIGHT BE BATCHED
INTO THE SAME TRANSMISSION AND SENT WITH DIFFERENT PRIORITY LEVELS ALL AT
THE SAME TIME. THIS COULD CAUSE SERIOUS PROBLEMS FOR CUSTOMS PROCESSING.
AT THE VERY LEAST, IT WOULD PRECLUDE ANY GUARANTEE THAT CUSTOMS WOULD
PROCESS THE FILER'S TRANSACTIONS IN THE PROPER SEQUENCE AND COULD, THERE-
FORE, CAUSE ERRONEOUS ABI PROCESSING RESULTS (SUCH AS AN ENTRY BEING
PROCESSED BEFORE THE IMPORTER WAS PROPERLY ADDED TO CUSTOMS DATABASE).

IT MAY BE THAT SOFTWARE CHANGES WILL BE NECESSARY TO CORRECT THE CITED
PROBLEMS. HOWEVER, IN MANY CASES IT MAY BE THAT IMPROPER USE OF SOFTWARE
IS AT FAULT. IN EITHER CASE, FILERS SHOULD WORK WITH THE SOFTWARE VENDORS
TO RESOLVE THESE PROBLEMS. YOUR COOPERATION IN REDUCING THESE ERRORS WILL
BENEFIT BOTH ABI FILERS AND CUSTOMS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PROMPT ATTENTION TO THESE MATTERS.

TRADE INTERFACE SUPPORT DIVISION, OFFICE OF ACS