AFACT IIC Customs EDI Project Rafiq Abdullah Mark Traas IIC-TWG Technical Advisor Presentation to AFACT Internetworking Implementation Committee (IIC)

Project Goals Ultimate goal of project –Exchange of Customs EDI data for: Trade Facilitation & Expediting Clearance Enforcement Statistics High-level timing goals –Pilot by end 1999 –Live implementation by early 2000

Project Description Exchange of EDI Information between Customs Administrations –Exchange of Export Declaration (CUSDEC) –Selected Information based on need and confidentiality agreements –May extend to other documents and information in the future Refer AFACT IIC Meeting Documents FOR MORE INFO...

Legal Framework AFACT IIC –Authority –Implementation Standards & Guidelines –Project Management Pilot –Bilateral Memorandum of Understanding Live –Bilateral Agreement with Annexes

Technical Overview Standards –Developed and reviewed by the IIC-TWG (Technical Working Group) –EDI Standards using EDIFACT D95B with Asia region guidelines (RECES) WCO D95B Mapping Guide & APEC Code Harmonization Guide –VAN-to-VAN network over X.400 Refer to IIC-TWG Meeting Documents & Technical Kit FOR MORE INFO...

Network Overview X.400 VANVAN Customs Customs

Process Overview Local standard export CUSDEC Regional standard export CUSDEC 1. Map to regional CUSDEC standard 2. Cross-reference from local codes to harmonized codes (using tables) 3. Convert character set, if necessary (using tables where possible) Local standard information Regional standard export CUSDEC 7. Map to local requirements 6. Cross-reference from harmonized codes to local codes (using tables) 5. Convert character set, if necessary (using tables where possible) 4. Transmitted Optional StepsRequired Steps

Process Overview Sending Country –Decides what information may be released to other countries –Maps local CUSDEC into region standard prior to transmission Message Structure and Data Elements (group locations and qualifier codes) Language and Character Sets (translate non-ASCII to ASCII for descriptive text-type data elements) Code Set Normalization (tabled cross-reference)

Process Overview Receiving Country –Receives regional-standard export CUSDEC from sending country –Uses message according to local requirements and bilateral confidentiality agreements –May re-map message for local standards Message Structure and Data Elements (group locations and qualifier codes) Language and Character Sets Code Set Normalization (tabled cross-reference)

Unique Referencing Unique Consignment Reference (UCR) is required for identifying consignments EDIFACT Representation WCO Guidelines for unique consignment reference identifier FOR MORE INFO... UCN Unique Consignment Reference Number I nternationally unique number used by Importers / Exporters to identify the consignment Format = Last digit of calendar year + Country Code + Company Identifier + Unique Reference RFFUCN 9MY

Current Activity –Customs-to-Customs MOU signed between Korea and Malaysia administrations on 29/12/1999 –Level 3 Pilot message exchange began 19/4/2000 –3 rd JPT meeting held on 10/9/2000 to review progress & issues –VAN-to-VAN MOU signed between Trade*Van (Chinese Taipei) and Dagang*Net (Malaysia) –X.400 testing completed –Level 1 and Level 2 (VAN-to-VAN) testing to follow –Customs-to-Customs MOU presently being reviewed by respective Customs Administrations –VAN-to-VAN MOU between EDI Indonesia and Dagang*Net presently under discussion

Korea - Malaysia Pilot Exchange Bilateral message exchange between Customs administrations of –Korea –Malaysia MOU signed on 29/12/1999 Three Joint Project Team (JPT) meetings Pilot exchange began 19/4/2000

Korea - Malaysia Pilot Exchange Weekly exchange of export consignment declaration information (export CUSDEC, EDIFACT D97A) Selected subset of 3 harmonized tariff codes (6- digit) each direction Intended for direct shipments only Selected subset of declaration data Confidentiality (Customs only)

Korea - Malaysia Pilot Exchange Selected Data –Place of Loading/Discharge –Departure Date –Total Weight (in KGM) –Reference information (used to build UCI) –Transport details (call sign, voyage number, vessel name) –Consignor and consignee name and address –Line item information (HS code, goods description, quantity measurements)

Korea - Malaysia Pilot Exchange Analysis of Data Exchange to date Difficulty of matching import/export declarations due to: –All or nearly all shipments are transshipments, with impact on B/L information –B/L information on Malaysia export declaration available later –Vessel identification assigned by port operator in Malaysia (int ’ l identifiers not provided, except for vessel name) –Voyage identification assigned by port operator in Malaysia (international identifier not provided) –Party identification (e.g. importer name on Korea export declaration and on Malaysia import declaration are not the same, often stated “ to the order of ” )

Korea - Malaysia Pilot Exchange Data exchange issues resolved »UN/EDIFACT version »Code qualifiers »Data formats, lengths and decimal usage Data exchange issues unresolved »Common UCR to link up import/export data »Unavailability of some internationally used identification information »Transshipments (change of B/L)

Korea - Malaysia Pilot Exchange Conclusions to date Successful and reliable exchange of export consignment declaration data No major technical problems encountered Problems revolved around non-availability of some internationally used data elements Clear case of a need for internationally adopted use of a Unique Consignment Reference (UCR)

Thank You! Any questions and comments?