Data Transmission

Who is Responsible for Data Transmission?

The CBSA requires under ACI, all marine and air carriers to transmit through electronic data interchange (EDI, the marine/air conveyance report and marine/air cargo reports (including supplementary cargo reports). This is for all vessels and aircraft that are loaded with commercial goods and that arrive at a port in Canada. The requirement applies to all import, in-transit, and freight remaining on board (FROB) shipments.

Although the carrier is responsible for transmitting supplementary cargo reports (when required), marine freight forwarders are permitted to transmit supplementary cargo reports directly to the CBSA. For the air mode only, Canadian freight forwarders may transmit supplementary cargo reports for imports, in-transits and freight remaining on board (FROB), while foreign freight forwarders are only permitted to transmit supplementary cargo reports for in-transit and FROB movements that do not involve a Canadian entity.

Transmission Methods

Marine and air carriers are required to use one of five options of Electronic Date Interchange (EDI) to transmit data to CBSA's host system.

Details of the ACI EDI requirements are found in the ACI Client Document.  You may obtain a copy by contacting the Electronic Commerce Unit (ECU).

• VAN (Value Added Network)
  A VAN is a public EDI network which provides an opportunity to exchange EDI transactions with a large number of trading partners using a single communication interface.  VANs generally offer a wide range of EDI services.  Clients will be responsible for the payment of their VAN connection and membership fees as well as for the transmission of their messages through the VAN to CBSA.  A list of VANs is available on request from the Electronic Commerce Unit.
• Third Party Service Provider
  There are a variety of approved third party service providers who currently transmit data to CBSA using a variety of different communication modes. A list of EDI capable service providers is available on request from the Electronic Commerce Unit.
• Customs Internet Gateway (CIG)
  CBSA developed the CIG to provide clients a method to transmit and receive data over the Internet.  CBSA adopted a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to provide for the security and integrity of the data.  Clients are required to purchase the Entrust software for encryption and decryption and to develop or purchase the protocol software to connect to the CIG. Clients would need to transmit the data from a Canadian office as the certificate is only assigned to a device in Canada.
• CADEX Communication Line
  New CADEX lines are no longer being offered as a method of communicating data between clients and the CBSA.  Existing CADEX lines will continue to be supported.
• Direct Connect to CBSA
  The Direct Connect is a more expensive alternative (approximately $45K in set-up costs and $15K in annual costs), but provides clients with a direct connection to CBSA.

Please note the CBSA does not endorse any particular service and its responsibility is limited to making this information available to clients.  Any decision on transmission services is the client’s and any agreement to purchase is strictly between the vendor and the client. 

Before submitting an application for Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) services, the client is to ensure that the transmission option chosen is available for the CBSA application they wish to use.  The client is responsible for all transmission costs to CBSA. 

Additional Support

To ensure you have the most recent version, it is important that you register with the ECU.  Make sure your e-mail address information is kept up to date.  The ECU will provide as much advance notice as possible of major system changes and will notify clients of upcoming changes via e-mail. 

Queries or documentation requests should be directed to:

Electronic Commerce Unit
Canada Border Services Agency
191 Laurier Avenue West, 15th Floor
Sir Richard Scott Building
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0L8
Phone: 1-888-957-7224 calls within Canada and the U.S.
1-613-946-0762 for overseas callers between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (E.S.T.)
1-613-946-0763 for overseas callers between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. (E.S.T.)

A list of approved EDI service providers who are capable of providing software/service for Advance Commercial Information (ACI) is available by contacting the ECU.

Changes to Data Elements

If the service option or the report identifier requires amendment, the client must transmit a delete/cancel report and retransmit a new report.

The report identifier is the:

• Cargo Control Number (CCN) on a cargo report
• Conveyance Report Number (CRN) on a conveyance report
• Supplementary Report Number (SRN) on a supplementary report

If any other data element requires amendment, the client is obligated to transmit a change. 

• All changes prior to loading restart the clock
• Changes after release must be presented on paper at the local CBSA office