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DIS Implementation Guide Details Use Cases, Submission Protocol, Etc.

April 11, 2012 by Tim Warren|Customs and Ports

A recently released U.S. Customs and Border Protection February 23 Implementation Guide for Messaging Interface between International Trade Data System Trade Partners and the CBP Document Image System (DIS) for importers and brokers provides extensive technical details on the messaging processes. The document, numbered ITDS-DIS-IG-1.2.6, says For Official Use Only. CBP recently began the first phase of DIS testing for Importers and Brokers using ACE.

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The purpose of the implementation guide is to provide a description of the message formats, communication mechanisms, validations, and business scenarios that would assist trade partners in building their interface with the CBP DIS system. This document will specify exactly what data is to be transmitted by each party, when the data is to be transmitted, and how the data is to be transmitted. The DIS interface between CBP and Trade Partners described is intended to allow CBP to electronically gather relevant information and documents required during the cargo importation and release process and to update trade partners regarding the review status of such documents.

(See ITT's Online Archives 12041017 for a summary announcing this CBP document.

Use Cases for Typical Message Transmissions from a Trade Partner to CBP using MQ, SFTP or Web Services

1- Use Case Description: This use case describes system behavior when the DIS system receives a document submission message from a importer or broker configured to send CBP appropriate trade documents via SFTP or Web Services Pre-conditions Basic Flow

  • During the course of Trade Transaction review, CBP or Participating. Government Agencies (PGAs) may send Trade Partners requests for additional documentation such as Invoices, Permits, and Licenses etc.
  • In response to such requests for documentation or voluntarily even without such requests, trade partners may submit additional supporting documentation to facilitate the cargo importation and release process
  • Trade partners may submit supporting documents to CBP and PGAs in electronic format via the DIS gateway or their existing Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) MQ Queues. The images are embedded in an XML message along-with any metadata that describes the document and its associations.
  • The XML message can be submitted to the DIS Gateway via three supported three interfaces:
    • a. Secure FTP
    • b. Secure Web Services
    • c. Existing EDI ABI MQ interfaces
  • All responses back to Trade are also sent in the form of XML messages that contain the status of
  • submissions or any requested information.
  • All asynchronous responses are sent via existing EDI ABI response queues
  • Web Service requests will also support specific requests that return information synchronously.
  • All DIS gateway interfaces accept the incoming XML message and inserts it into the TASPO DIS MQ Queues
  • Afterwards
    • The submitted document image messages are stored in TASPO DIS MQ Queues
    • The XML messages are then processed by the DIS system and response messages indicating the processing status of each message are placed on the ABI MQ response queues for that client

2- Use Case Description: This Use Case describes the various steps involved when CBP receives from exporters and brokers requests for Document submission status, metadata and review status contained within the DIS database. Pre-conditions Basic Flow

  • Trade system sends a request for document/review statuses to CBP using one of the interfaces defined in the Interface Control Document (ICD). Trade system specifies the criteria to be used to identify the documents
  • The CBP DIS interface to which the message was sent saves the request message into the appropriate MQ queue
  • The DIS MessageProcessor processes the messages and creates a response message with the requested data
  • DIS MessageProcessor saves the response message in the appropriate EDI ABI response MQ queue for that trade partner
  • The trade partner consumes the EDI ABI MQ response Queue to receive the requested data
  • Afterwards:
    • Document request is accepted.

Message Submission via existing EDI MQ Queues

Trade Partners may submit XML messages containing document images and associated metadata via existing EDI MQ Interface. Likewise trade partners will receive all response messages from CBP via their EDI MQ response queues. The payload submitted during the SFTP transaction shall be the same XML message as defined in the other interfaces.

  • To submit messages to CBP including documents and requests, use the unique DIS queue name agreed upon with CBP for your specific corporation.
  • To receive response, use the Response Queue assigned to your specific corporation. The name of this queue is negotiated with each corporation.

Submission of XML messages containing document images and associated metadata via a secure file transfer protocol service (SFTP) site and secure web services (HTTPS) hosted by CBP on the Internet will also be supported. Trade partners will receive a synchronous response indicating the status of the SFTP call, but detailed processing status of the submitted message will be sent via EDI response queue.

(See ITT's Online Archives 12040548 for Details of the First Phase of CBP DIS Test for Importers and Brokers)