Creating an ETSF Pre-arrival Consignment
Overview
A pre-arrival ETSF consignment can be useful in order to 'pre-lodge' an inventory-linked import declaration. The pre-arrival ETSF consignment can be created by the ETSF operator - as described here - but can as easily be created by the customs agent who is going to make the inventory-linked declaration.
The consignment is created on the CCS-UK inventory system.
Auto-creating Records
Note that in the air environment, most consignments arrive at a frontier ITSF Shed first.
These are then subject to an Inter-Shed Removal (ISR) by the airline or ground handler in order to move them to an ETSF. This results in an electronic notification (CUKFSA P5 message) being sent to Sequoia - also sometimes referred to as a BI - to notify the ETSF operator that the removal request has been made.
Sequoia can be configured to automatically create a 'skeleton' ETSF record when this notification is received. This will save you the job of inputting the consignment information; all you have to do is to 'arrive' the consignment when you physically receive the goods. See below for information on how to do that.
If this is the case, consignment records will automatically appear in the Auto-created [BI] folder in the ETSF module, as well as appearing in the Pre-Arrivals folder.
They will have a status of Inter-Shed Transfer [BI], as illustrated below.
Creating a Pre-arrival Consignment
To create a new ETSF pre-arrival consignment, you can either:
- Select File > New > ETSF > ETSF Pre-arrival from the main Sequoia toolbar at the top of the screen, or
- Right click the Pre-arrival list in the ETSF module and select New then ETSF Pre-arrival from the context menu.
This will display the ETSF Pre-arrival editor (as shown below).
You should take care when creating a pre-arrival consignment record. Once it is created, the information in it cannot be amended until after it has been arrived. This means also that goods cannot be received, release notes produced or goods delivered against a pre-arrival record.
See Arriving a Pre-Arrival Consignment below for details about how to arrive records.
To change any information in the record before it arrives, you would have to delete it and then recreate it with the correct information.
Master air waybill information
Fill in the information in the boxes as detailed in the table below.
The initial information is that declared on the airline (basic or master) air waybill. This has to be entered before any house air waybill details are entered.
| Label | Information required |
|---|---|
| Shed | Enter your Shed + airport code. If you only have access to one ETSF facility then that code will automatically be filled in. Otherwise you can click the  to the right of this box to display a list of available codes. |
| Master | Master air waybill prefix and number. E.g. 125-12345670 |
| Origin (AOO) | The 3 character IATA airport code of the origin airport shown on the air waybill. To look up the airport code, you can key in a question mark ( ?) into the box or click the ellipses (three dots) to the right of this box to display the search dialog. |
| Destination (AOD) | The 3 character IATA airport code of the destination airport shown on the air waybill. This will default to the airport location of your ETSF, but can be changed if different. To look up the airport code, you can key in a question mark ( ?) into the box or click the ellipses (three dots) to the right of this box to display the search dialog. |
| Pieces Expected (NPX) | The number of packages declared on the master air waybill. |
| Gross Weight (GWT) | The gross weight declared on the master air waybill. |
| SDC | The Shipment Description Code (SDC). To look up the code, you can key in a question mark (?) into the box or click the ellipses (three dots) to the right of this box to display the search dialog.You should refer to Customs Notice 216 for details of these codes and what they mean. |
| Carrier | The carrier code. To look up the code, you can key in a question mark (?) into the box or click the ellipses (three dots) to the right of this box to display the search dialog. |
| Flight Number | The number of the flight (not including the carrier code) on which the goods arrived. |
| Flight Date | You cannot enter the flight arrival date. This is how CCS-UK identifies a consignment record as a pre-arrival. *This box is read only. |
| Goods Description | The description of the goods. This is limited to a maximum of 15 characters for an inventory record. |
| Nominated Agent | The badge code of the agent nominated to clear the goods. To look up the code, you can key in a question mark (?) into the box or click the ellipses (three dots) to the right of this box to display the search dialog. |
| Status 2 | If you select "No" then production of any release note for the goods will be inhibited. |
| Transport Mode | The transport mode code.You can click the to the right of this box to display a list of codes. The transport mode code is not transmitted as part of the consignment data. |
| Transit MRN | If the creation of this inventory record is as a result of discharging a transit movement into temporary storage, then you can enter the transit MRN here. The MRN is not transmitted as part of the consignment data but is available as part of the Find ETSF Inventory Records as a search option. |
| Release Note Comments | Any information entered here will print on the release note generated for the consignment. |
| Agent Reference | Once a customs declaration has been made against this inventory consignment, this box will update with the [last 8 characters of the] Agent Reference as input into box 7 of the customs declaration. *This box is read only. |
If this pre-arrival consignment is a 'basic' or 'simple' air waybill - i.e. there is no manifest with house air waybills attached - then click [Send] on the toolbar at the top of the editor. This will close the ETSF Consignment editor and the consignment that has been created will appear on the ETSF Pre-arrival list in the ETSF module.
The record will have a status of Pre-arrival created.
Otherwise, see below for instructions on how to input house air waybill data.
House Air Waybill Data
To start creating pre-arrival house consignment records, click [New House] on the House Consignments toolbar (as highlighted below).
For each pre-arrival house consignment you must complete the information as described in the list below.
Once one row - one pre-arrival house consignment - has been completed, to create a new row you can use the down arrow on your keyboard or click [New House] on the House Consignments toolbar again.
| Label | Information required |
|---|---|
| House | The house air waybill number (HAWB). This must be 8 characters (upper case letters and numbers). If the HAWB number is not exactly 8 characters then: - If less then add zeros to the beginning of the number - If more then use only the last 8 characters. |
| AOO | The 3 character IATA airport code of the origin airport shown on the house air waybill. To look up the airport code, you can key in a question mark ( ?) into the box or click the ellipses (three dots) to the right of this box to display the search dialog. |
| AOD | The 3 character IATA airport code of the destination airport shown on the house air waybill. This will default to the airport location of your ETSF, but can be changed if different. To look up the airport code, you can key in a question mark ( ?) into the box or click the ellipses (three dots) to the right of this box to display the search dialog. |
| NPX | The number of packages declared on the house air waybill. |
| NPR | The number of packages physically received. This will update as the information is input to the application. *This box is read only. |
| NPD | The number of packages delivered. This will update as the information is input to the application. *This box is read only. |
| GWT | The gross weight declared on the house air waybill. |
| Goods Description | The description of the goods. This is limited to a maximum of 15 characters for an inventory record. |
| SDC | The Shipment Description Code (SDC). To look up the code, you can key in a question mark (?) into the box or click the ellipses (three dots) to the right of this box to display the search dialog. You should refer to Customs Notice 216 for details of these codes and what they mean.Note that if the SDC code of the master is declared as M, then at least one of the house consignments must be declared as M. |
| Agent | The badge code of the agent nominated to clear the goods. To look up the code, you can key in a question mark (?) into the box or click the ellipses (three dots) to the right of this box to display the search dialog. |
| St2 | If you select "No" then production of any release note for the goods will be inhibited. |
| Status Description | The 'status' of the consignment record. This will default to 'Awaiting creation' and will update once the data is transmitted, and as the process continues. *This box is read only. |
| Release Note Comments | Any information entered here will print on the release note generated for the consignment. |
| Status 1 | The date on which the number of packages physically received equal the number expected. This will update as the information is input to the application. *This box is read only. |
| Customs Status | Once a declaration or removal is submitted against this consignment record, the Customs Status will update. *This box is read only. |
Once you have completed all the necessary information, then click [Send] on the toolbar at the top of the editor.
This will close the ETSF pre-arrival editor. The consignments that have been created will appear on the ETSF Pre-arrival list in the ETSF module.
The master and house consignment records will have a status of Pre-arrival created.
Arriving a Pre-arrival Consignment
To arrive a pre-arrival consignment, select the consignment (click on the row) on the Pre-arrival list in the ETSF module. Now right click and select Arrive Pre-arrival... from the resulting menu (as shown below).
A dialog will appear, asking you to confirm that you wish to arrive the pre-arrival. If you answer [Yes] then the dialog will disappear and you will return to the Pre-arrival list.
This will transmit the information to the CCS-UK Inventory system. It may take a little while for the arrival to be processed but, when it is confirmed, the pre-arrival consignment will be removed from the Pre-arrival list and will then appear on the ETSF Consignments list.
Any import customs declaration submitted against this inventory consignment will automatically be updated by HMRC and the status of this inventory consignment will then be updated accordingly.