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X12 transaction guide · Transportation

EDI 311 Canada Customs Information

The X12 document ocean or rail carriers and freight forwarders use to report import and export conveyance and consignment information to Canadian customs.

Sent by
Ocean or rail carrier, or freight forwarder
Received by
Canadian customs authority
Standard
ANSI ASC X12

What is an EDI 311?

The EDI 311 Canada Customs Information is the ANSI X12 transaction set that provides the information an ocean or rail carrier or freight forwarder needs to report import and export conveyance and consignment information to Canadian customs.

Canada requires advance electronic data on goods entering the country, and carriers and forwarders must submit conveyance and cargo details within set time limits. The 311 is one of the formats used for that reporting. Implementers should follow the current requirements and message specifications published by the Canada Border Services Agency, which change over time.

How the EDI 311 worksDiagram of the EDI 311 Canada Customs Information. Ocean or rail carrier, or freight forwarder sends it to canadian customs authority. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: B2A (Set Purpose), N9 (Extended Reference Information), the required N1 loop with N1 (Party Identification) and R4 (Port or Terminal) and detail: the required LX loop with LX (Transaction Set Line Number). 2 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 311 worksCanada Customs Information: who sends it, where it fits and what the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 311SENDEROcean or rail carrier, orfreight forwarderRECEIVERCanadian customsauthority997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partners agreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY997FunctionalAcknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDsISA … IEAFunctional group, ID code SOGS … GETransaction set 311ST … SEHEADINGB2ASet PurposeN9Extended Reference InformationRequired loop N1 · repeats up to 10N1Party IdentificationR4Port or TerminalDETAILRequired loop LX · repeats up to 999LXTransaction Set Line Number+ 2 optional loops, starting with:EDL0Blue box: required loop. Optional loops are listed by the segment that starts them; when a loop is used, that first segment is required. Optional segmentsoutside loops are not drawn.Structure: required segments and loops in the X12 008010 listing for the 311. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds its own requirements.
How the EDI 311 worksDiagram of the EDI 311 Canada Customs Information. Ocean or rail carrier, or freight forwarder sends it to canadian customs authority. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: B2A (Set Purpose), N9 (Extended Reference Information), the required N1 loop with N1 (Party Identification) and R4 (Port or Terminal) and detail: the required LX loop with LX (Transaction Set Line Number). 2 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 311 worksCanada Customs Information: who sends it,where it fits and what the standard marksrequired1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 311SENDEROcean or railcarrier, orfreightforwarderRECEIVERCanadiancustomsauthority997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partnersagreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY997Functional Acknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDs (ISA… IEA)Functional group, ID code SO (GS … GE)Transaction set 311 (ST … SE)HEADINGB2ASet PurposeN9Extended ReferenceInformationRequired loop N1 · repeats up to10N1Party IdentificationR4Port or TerminalDETAILRequired loop LX · repeats up to999LXTransaction Set LineNumber+ 2 optional loops, starting with:EDL0Blue box: required loop. Optional loops are listedby the segment that starts them; when a loop isused, that first segment is required. Optionalsegments outside loops are not drawn.Structure: required segments and loops in the X12008010 listing for the 311. Your trading partner'simplementation guide adds its own requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends the 311, to whom, and which documents usually come before and after it. The lower part shows what X12 release 008010 itself requires: the envelopes around the 311 and the segments and loops the standard marks as required, area by area. Optional loops are listed by the segment that starts them rather than drawn in full. This is the standard's minimum, not a trading partner's requirement: each partner's implementation guide usually makes some optional loops mandatory, restricts the codes and may use a different release.

Expand diagram Download SVG

When it is used

  • Reporting cargo and conveyance data for shipments into Canada
  • Reporting house bill details as a freight forwarder
  • Amending previously reported data

Where it fits in the document flow

This document 311 Canada Customs Information
Usually followed by 997 Functional Acknowledgment

Structure

Mandatory segments in the 311 (X12 release 008010)

The segments X12 release 008010 marks as mandatory at their level, in order. Segments inside optional loops are needed only when the loop is used. This is the standard's requirement, not your trading partner's: each partner's implementation guide names the release it uses, adds the optional segments it requires and restricts the values. The requirement status comes from one published X12 reference listing and has not been checked against a second source.

  • ST
  • B2A
  • N9
  • N1
  • R4
  • LX
  • ED
  • L0
  • L5
  • SE

Practical example

The 311 in practice

A rail carrier moves containers from a US port into Canada. Before the train reaches the border, it reports the conveyance and each consignment to Canadian customs with the containers, shippers, consignees and cargo descriptions. The forwarder that consolidated some containers reports the house bills it issued, so customs has the full picture before arrival.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for the 311

  • Check the current Canada Border Services Agency specifications before implementing.
  • Meet the advance reporting time limits for each mode of transport.
  • Coordinate carrier and forwarder reporting so house and master bills match.
  • Monitor responses and correct rejected reports quickly.

How ECOM helps

Automate the 311 with ECOM

Industry

Trucking and Transportation

Load tenders, responses, status and freight invoices for carriers, brokers and shippers, integrated with the TMS.

Solution

Logistics Automation

Automate tenders, status updates, freight invoices and warehouse orders with logistics partners.

Solution

EDI Integration

Exchange X12 and EDIFACT documents with partners and integrate them directly with your ERP.

More general questions about EDI are answered in the EDI FAQ.

Related transactions

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