CSMS Message: 96-001156

TO : ALL ABI BROKERS.

FROM : THOMAS WYGANT

SUBJECT : LU6.2 INSTALL. SCHEDULE FOR ABI

DATE : 12/17/96

ABI FILERS
NORTHERN U.S. BORDER

LAST YEAR CUSTOMS ANNOUNCED ITS INTENT TO COMMIT A SIGNIFICANT
AMOUNT OF PROGRAMMING AND STAFF RESOURCES DEDICATED TO UPDATING
THE LINE RELEASE SYSTEM. WE WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO
INFORM YOU OF OUR INTENED SCHEDULE TO IMPLEMENT THESE
ENHANCEMENTS TO LINE RELEASE IN THE FOLLOWING LINE RELEASE SITES:

WEEK OF JANUARY 5, 1997
PORT HURON, MI
BLAINE, WA
SUMAS, WA

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 3, 1997
HIGHGATE SPRINGS, VT
DERBY LINE, VT
HOULTEN, ME
CALAIS, ME

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 17, 1997
SAULT ST. MARIE, MI
PEMBINA, ND
SWEETGRASS, MT

THESE ENHANCEMENTS ARE IN THE FORM OF A TWOFOLD CHANGE IN THE WAY
THE LINE RELEASE SITES OPERATE. FIRST, CUSTOMS IS UPDATING THE
MANNER IN WHICH THE LINE RELEASE SITE COMMUNICATES WITH THE
MAINFRAME IN NEWINGTON, VIRGINIA. THIS HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN A
BATCH ABI PROCESS, PERFORMED BY INSPECTORS ONCE A DAY, ON A
MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY BASIS. RELEASES ARE MADE THROUGH THE LINE
RELEASE SYSTEM ON A CONTINUAL BASIS, BUT RECORDS OF THE RELEASES
ARE SENT BY CUSTOMS TO THE MAINFRAME MUCH MORE INFREQUENTLY.

THIS HAS LED TO SERIOUS PROBLEMS IN THE PAST WHEN EQUIPMENT
FAILURES AND DAMAGED FILES LEFT NUMBERS OF RECORDS CORRUPTED OR
LOST BEFORE TRANSMISSIONS WERE MADE. THE INCREASED WORKLOAD OF
SALVAGING ENTRY RELEASE DATA AND GETTING IT ONTO THE MAINFRAME IS
A BURDEN TO BOTH CUSTOMS AND THE LOCAL TRADE.

CUSTOMS WILL BEGIN A NEW TRANSMISSION SYSTEM FOR ALL LINE RELEASE
TRANSACTIONS FROM THE ABOVE LISTED LINE RELEASE SITES, TO THE
MAINFRAME DURING THE WEEKS SCHEDULED ABOVE. UTILIZING LU6.2
TECHNOLOGY, CUSTOMS WILL CREATE RECORDS ON THE MAINFRAME FOR EACH
RELEASE AS SOON AS THE TRANSACTION IS COMPLETED ON THE LOCAL LINE
RELEASE COMPUTERS. THE RELEASES WILL STILL BE MADE UTILIZING THE
LOCAL DATA BASES AT THE SITE, BUT THERE WILL BE NO STORING AND
BATCHING OF RELEASE DATA FOR LATER TRANSMISSION TO THE MAINFRAME.
SINCE THE TRANSMISSION TO THE MAINFRAME WILL STILL BE A SEPARATE
PROCESS FROM THE RELEASE OF THE CARGO, LOSS OF OR A SLOWDOWN IN
CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN THE LINE RELEASE SITE AND THE MAINFRAME WILL
NOT HAMPER THE RELEASE PROCESS.

THE MAINFRAME WILL CONTINUE TO SEND THE RESULTS OF A LINE RELEASE
ENTRY TO THE ABI FILER VIA THE XR APPLICATION, BUT THESE WILL NOW
BE SENT AS THEY ARE PROCESSED ON THE MAINFRAME. FILERS CAN
EXPECT TO RECEIVE INFORMATION ON THEIR RELEASES AS THEY OCCUR,
RATHER THEN WAITING TO THE NEXT DAY, OR IN SOME CASES, UNTIL
AFTER A WEEKEND HAS PASSED. THERE WILL BE NO NEED FOR ABI
PROGRAMMING CHANGES BY FILERS TO RECEIVE THESE RELEASE
NOTIFICATIONS.

THE SECOND CHANGE CUSTOMS IS IMPLEMENTING AT THE SITES LISTED
ABOVE, IS THE ASSIGNMENT OF AN ENTRY NUMBER BY THE LINE RELEASE
SYSTEM FOR THE FILER TO USE IN FILING A SELECTIVITY ENTRY FOR A
COMPLIANCE EXAMINATION. ONE OF THE CRITICISMS LINE RELEASE HAS
FACED IN THE PAST IS AN INABILITY TO EASILY SEGREGATE THE RESULTS
OF TRANSACTIONS WHERE CUSTOMS DECIDED TO EXAMINE A LINE RELEASE
SHIPMENT. ALL RECORDS OF LINE RELEASE EXAMINATIONS HAVE BEEN
LOCATED ONLY ON LOCAL LINE RELEASE COMPUTERS SINCE THE INCEPTION
OF THE SYSTEM. USING THE NEW LU6.2 TECHNOLOGY, WE WILL NOW
TRANSMIT THIS EXAMINATION INFORMATION TO THE MAINFRAME IN ORDER
TO MORE EASILY TIE IT TO SELECTIVITY EXAMINATION RESULTS.

CUSTOMS WILL CONTINUE TO USE THE REGULAR BANK OF ENTRY NUMBERS
PROVIDED BY THE FILER FOR NORMAL LINE RELEASE TRANSACTIONS. WHEN
A STRATIFIED, TRADE ENFORCEMENT OR FDA COMPLIANCE EXAMINATION IS
RANDOMLY SELECTED BY THE SYSTEM, OR IS ORDERED BY AN INSPECTOR,
THE ENTRY NUMBER WILL BE PRINTED ON THE INVOICE AND MANIFEST.

THE PRINT WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM THE USUAL PRINT
FOUND ON A REGULAR RELEASE MADE BY THE SYSTEM (SEE ENCLOSURE),
AND IT WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE FILER'S RELEASE CLERK BY THE
DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE. THE FILER SHOULD USE THE BAR CODED CF3461
ALT WHICH MATCHES THE ENTRY NUMBER WHEN PREPARING THE PAPERWORK
FOR CUSTOMS.

THE LINE RELEASE ENHANCEMENTS ARE SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AT THESE
SITES, AS LISTED ABOVE. WE EXPECT THIS PROCESS TO TAKE ONLY PART
OF THE WEEK TO COMPLETE. WE WILL INSURE THAT DOWNTIME OF THE
EXISTING SYSTEM IS MINIMIZED BY CONDUCTING TESTING OFF LINE
BEFORE SWITCHING THE OPERATIONAL FILES. IF NEED BE, THIS WILL BE
ACCOMPLISHED LATE AT NIGHT OR EARLY MORNING TO CREATE AS LITTLE
DISTURBANCE AS POSSIBLE. SHOULD PROBLEMS ARISE WHICH CANNOT BE
SOLVED IMMEDIATELY, WE WILL INSURE THAT WE WILL HAVE THE
CAPABILITY TO REVERT TO THE PREVIOUS PROCESSORS.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE STEPS CUSTOMS IS
UNDERTAKING IN THIS PROJECT, PLEASE CONTACT MR. THOMAS WYGANT, OF
MY STAFF AT (202) 927-1167.

SINCERELY,

PHILIP METZGER
DIRECTOR
TRADE COMPLIANCE