Understanding ACI transaction sets

At least one hour before a truck crosses the border into Canada, the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) must have received and approved a complete eManifest describing the vehicle, cargo, crew, and any passengers.

The ACI messaging system provides for the transmission, acknowledgement, and approval of the EDI documents that comprise the eManifest. The ACI transaction set consists of the following types of messages:

  • Outgoing to CBSA: 309 and 358

  • Incoming from CBSA: 997, 824, and 350

  1. You must file an ACI eManifest for a truck crossing the border into Canada. For a truck entering the US, you will also have to file an ACE eManifest with the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency.

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

Outgoing messages to CBSA

Send these messages to the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) 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 Highway Cargo

The 309 transaction set provides CBSA with information about cargo. For ACI, you can send a 309 message as:

  • 309 Shipment Data

    You use the 309 Shipment Data message to send information about a shipment

    For ACI, a 309 message can describe a single shipment, only. You must use a 358 message to add information about personnel and assets.

  • 309/358 Original Bundle

    In ACI, the 309 message describes shipment data, only. You can use the 309/358 bundle to simultaneously send a 309 message and a 358 message to describe the shipment, personnel, and assets.

    Note: The function of the ACI 309/358 bundle is similar to the ACE 309 Complete message. The difference is that the 309/358 bundle is sent as two messages.

  • 309 Amendment

    You use the 309 Amendment document to update a 309 Shipment Data document.

  • 309 Delete

    You use the 309 Delete document to delete a 309 Shipment document from the border protection agency’s records.

358 Highway Conveyance

You begin an ACI eManifest with a 309 Shipment Data message. Later, you send a 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

  • 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

Incoming messages from CBSA

Incoming ACI transaction sets from CBSA include EDI 997, 824, and 350 messages.

997 Functional Acknowledgement/Syntax Rejection

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

824 Acknowledgement /Application Rejection

CBSA sends an 824 message to report the acceptance (824-Accept) and rejection (824-Reject), based on message content, of a 309 or 358 message you transmitted to CBSA.

350 Report/ Release Notification

CBSA sends a 350 message to report shipment and trip release/hold information, such as arrival, release/hold, and trip status. This message is sent by the Release Notification System.

ACI message flow

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

  1. The names of individual messages comprising ACI transaction sets can vary in different ACI-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 CBSA CBSA to your company

309 - Highway Cargo (Shipment Data)

The 309 transaction set provides CBSA with information about cargo. You can send 309 information as:

  • 309 Shipment
    For ACI trips, the EDI 309 message described freight records, only. You add personnel, conveyance, and equipment information later, using a 358 Trip Information message (see below).

  • 309 Amendment
    If you add shipments to an ACI trip, you must send additional 309 messages.

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

997 - Acknowledgement/Rejection

CBP sends a 997 message in response to your 309 and 358 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.

824 - Acknowledgement/Rejection, as needed

After a 997 message, CBSA sends an 824 message to report the acceptance (824-Accept) or rejection (824-Reject), based on message content of a 309 or 358 message you transmitted to CBSA.

358 - Highway Conveyance (Trip Information)

Use the 358 message as needed to add trip conveyance information to 309 Shipment data. The 358 message can describe:

  • Trip number

  • Driver(s) and passenger(s)

  • Tractor and 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 - Acknowledgement/Rejection

824 - Acknowledgement/Rejection, as needed