Understanding ACE transaction sets

At least one hour before a truck crosses the border into the US, the US Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP) must have received and approved a complete eManifest describing the vehicle, cargo, crew, and any passengers.

The ACE messaging system handles the transmission, acknowledgement, and approval of the EDI documents that make up the eManifest. The EDI ACE messages consist of these transaction sets:

  • Outgoing to CBP: EDI 309, 358, and 353

  • Incoming from CBP: EDI 997, 355, and 350

  1. You must file an ACE eManifest for a truck crossing the border into the US. For a truck entering Canada, you will also have to file an ACI eManifest with the Canadian Border Security Agency (CBSA).

  2. If your company uses eManifest’s ACI features, note that some ACI transaction sets differ slightly from their ACE counterparts.

Outgoing messages to CBP

Send these messages to the US Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP) to initiate, update, and conclude the description of cargo, personnel, and assets on a shipment.

The eManifest must be completed at least one hour before the truck reaches the border crossing.

309 Customs Manifest

The 309 transaction set provides CBP with information about cargo, crew, passengers, tractor, and trailer. You can send a 309 message as:

  • 309 Complete
    The EDI 309 Complete document is an all-in-one eManifest containing information about a shipment and trip.

  • 309 Preliminary
    The EDI 309 Preliminary document describes a shipment, only. When you send a 309 Preliminary message, you must add trip information later using a 358 Trip Information message.

  • 309 Amendment
    The EDI 309 Amendment document is used to update a 309 Complete or 309 Preliminary document.

  • 309 Delete
    The EDI 309 Delete document is used to delete a 309 Complete or 309 Preliminary document from the border protection agency’s records.

358 Truck/Trip Manifest

If you begin an eManifest with a 309 Preliminary (shipment) message, you use the EDI 358 message to add, amend, or delete trip information.

A 358 message can describe:

  • Driver(s) and passenger(s)

  • Details about the conveyance (tractor) and equipment (trailer)

  • Shipments added to or removed from a trip.

  • Instruments of International Trade (IIT’s), and other non-cargo items (racks, pallets, etc.) used in support of shipping cargo, which constitute an empty move even though they remain on the trailer.

  • Shipment control numbers (SCN’s) to link preliminary shipments with a trip.

353 Event Advisory

You use the 353 message for two purposes:

  • Notify CBP of the end of manifest submission, unless you sent a 309 Complete to describe a complete eManifest.

  • Arrive an in-bond shipment or permit to transfer shipments.

Incoming messages from CBP

Incoming ACE transaction sets from CBP include EDI 997, 350, and 353 messages.

997 Functional Acknowledgement

CBP sends you a 997 message to acknowledge that a message you have sent to CBP was accepted or rejected, based on standard syntax checking. The 997 message does not indicate approval or rejection of information in a document.

355 Acceptance/Rejection

CBP sends a 355 message in response to your 309, 358, and 353 messages. The 355 message:

  • Reports the acceptance or rejection of a message you transmitted to CBP based on message content.

  • Indicates any errors or discrepancies in the message you transmitted to CBP.

350 Status

CBP sends a 350 message to:

  • Indicate an entry has been filed for a shipment.

  • Supply shipment and trip release/hold information, such as arrival, release/hold, and trip status.

ACE Message flow

The following chart shows a typical flow of messages between your company and CBP. The number of messages of a given type can vary.

  1. The names of individual messages comprising ACE transaction sets can vary in different ACE-related documentation. Message numbering, i.e., 309, 358, etc., is consistent.

  2. Some ACE and ACI messages use the same number designations, but their functions differ.
Your company to CBP CBP to your company

309 - Customs Manifest

The 309 transaction set provides CBP with all or partial information concerning cargo, crew, passengers, tractor, and trailer. You can send 309 information as:

  • 309 Complete
    An all-in-one eManifest (shipments, crew, conveyance, equipment, and trip information)

    OR

  • 309 Preliminary
    A preliminary shipment document describing freight records, only. You add personnel, conveyance, and equipment information later using a 358 Trip Information message.

    OR

  • 309 Update
    If you add or modify shipments, you must send 309 Updates.

Note: To cancel an eManifest for a shipment, send a 309 Delete.

997 - Functional Acknowledgement

CBP sends a 997 message in response to your 309, 358, and 353 message sets to acknowledge successful or failed receipt of the message.

  • The 997 message confirms compliance with the proper format and standard syntax checking.

  • The 997 message does not indicate approval of the message content.

355 - Acceptance/Rejection

After a 997 message, CBP sends a 355 message in response to your 309, 358, and 353 message sets. The 355 message:

  • Reports the acceptance or rejection of a message you transmitted to CBP, based on content.

  • Indicates any errors or discrepancies in the message you transmitted to CBP.

358 - Truck/Trip Manifest

Use the 358 message as needed to add or update trip conveyance information sent with a 309 Complete or 309 Preliminary message.

The 358 message can describe:

  • Trip number

  • Driver(s) and passenger(s)

  • Tractor, trailer

  • Equipment details (racks, pallets, and other hardware used in support of shipping cargo).

  • Shipment control numbers (SCN’s) to link preliminary shipments with a trip.

997 - Functional Acknowledgement(s)

355 - Acceptance/Rejection(s)

353 - Event Advisory

You send 353 messages to

  • Notify CBP of the end of an eManifest submission. Normally, you will send a 353 message after your last 358 message.

  • Notify CBP of an in-bond arrival.

Notes:

  1. The 353 is not required if you have sent a 309 Complete (shipment plus trip) message to CBP.

  2. As of V. 2009.08_08.0715, you can send 353 messages for both arriving and exported in-bond shipments. Previously, you could send a 353 message for arriving shipments, only.

997 - Functional Acknowledgement(s)

355 - Acceptance/Rejection(s)

350 - Status

CBP sends you 350 messages to supply:

  • Notification that an entry has been filed for a shipment.

  • Shipment and trip release/hold information, such as clearance, arrival, release, and status messages.