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X12 transaction guide · Transportation

EDI 356 Customs Permit to Transfer Request

The X12 document trade parties send to customs to request a permit to transfer cargo.

Sent by
Carrier, terminal operator or other trade party
Received by
Customs authority
Standard
ANSI ASC X12

What is an EDI 356?

The EDI 356 Customs Permit to Transfer Request is the ANSI X12 transaction set requesting trade entities send to customs to ask for a Permit to Transfer (PTT). A permit to transfer authorizes cargo that has not yet been released to be moved from one facility to another within the port area, for example from a pier to a container freight station.

Without the permit, cargo under customs control cannot be moved. Requesting it electronically speeds up transfers that are routine at busy ports.

How the EDI 356 worksDiagram of the EDI 356 Customs Permit to Transfer Request. Carrier, terminal operator or other trade party sends it to 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: M10 (Manifest Identifying Information) and the required P4 loop with P4 (Port Information) and M20 (Permit to Transfer Request Details). 0 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 356 worksCustoms Permit to Transfer Request: who sends it, where it fits and what the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 356SENDERCarrier, terminaloperator or other tradepartyRECEIVERCustoms authority997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partners agreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY997FunctionalAcknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDsISA … IEAFunctional group, ID code BAGS … GETransaction set 356ST … SEHEADINGM10Manifest Identifying InformationRequired loop P4 · repeats up to 20P4Port InformationM20Permit to Transfer Request DetailsBlue 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 356. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds its own requirements.
How the EDI 356 worksDiagram of the EDI 356 Customs Permit to Transfer Request. Carrier, terminal operator or other trade party sends it to 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: M10 (Manifest Identifying Information) and the required P4 loop with P4 (Port Information) and M20 (Permit to Transfer Request Details). 0 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 356 worksCustoms Permit to Transfer Request: whosends it, where it fits and what the standardmarks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 356SENDERCarrier, terminaloperator orother tradepartyRECEIVERCustomsauthority997 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 BA (GS … GE)Transaction set 356 (ST … SE)HEADINGM10Manifest IdentifyingInformationRequired loop P4 · repeats up to20P4Port InformationM20Permit to TransferRequest DetailsBlue 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 356. Your trading partner'simplementation guide adds its own requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends the 356, 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 356 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

  • Moving unreleased cargo from a terminal to a container freight station
  • Transferring cargo between facilities in a port
  • Requesting authority to move cargo for deconsolidation

Where it fits in the document flow

This document 356 Customs Permit to Transfer Request
Usually followed by 997 Functional Acknowledgment

Structure

Mandatory segments in the 356 (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
  • M10
  • P4
  • M20
  • SE

Practical example

The 356 in practice

A consolidated container arrives at a terminal and must be moved to a nearby container freight station for devanning before the individual shipments can be entered. The station operator sends customs a 356 requesting a permit to transfer the container. Once customs approves, the container is moved and devanned.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for the 356

  • Identify the cargo by bill of lading and container exactly as manifested.
  • Request permits before planning the move, since cargo cannot move without them.
  • Track approval responses and follow customs guidance on timing.
  • Follow the customs authority's implementation guide.

How ECOM helps

Automate the 356 with ECOM

Industry

Trucking and Transportation

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

Industry

3PL and Warehousing

Warehouse orders, shipping advice, receipts and inventory reporting between brands, 3PLs, carriers and retailers.

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.

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