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EDIFACT message guide · Customs and regulatory

CUSRES Customs response

The UN/EDIFACT message a customs administration uses to acknowledge declarations and reports, report errors and communicate decisions.

Sent by
Customs administration
Received by
Declarant, carrier or agent
Standard
UN/EDIFACT · Batch message
X12 equivalent
355 Customs Acceptance/Rejection

What is the EDIFACT CUSRES message?

CUSRES is the UN/EDIFACT customs response. The directory defines it as a message that transfers data from a customs administration to acknowledge receipt of a message, to indicate whether the information received is correct or contains errors, and to communicate customs decisions about it.

Declarants and carriers depend on CUSRES to know whether a declaration was accepted, whether goods are released or held for inspection, and what duties are due. Because release decisions control when goods can move, responses need to be processed and acted on quickly.

How the EDIFACT CUSRES message worksDiagram of the UN/EDIFACT CUSRES Customs response message. Customs administration sends it to declarant, carrier or agent. It usually follows CUSDEC, CUSCAR and CUSREP. Inside the UNB and UNH envelopes, the directory D.21A requires, in the start of message: BGM (Beginning of message). 6 conditional segment groups are listed by their trigger segment.How the EDIFACT CUSRES message worksCustoms response: who sends it, where it fits and what the directory marks mandatory1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSCUSDECCustoms declarationCUSCARCustoms cargo reportCUSREPCustoms conveyancereportCUSRESSENDERCustomsadministrationRECEIVERDeclarant, carrier oragentCONTRL syntax report back, if agreedUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYNo business reply expected2 WHAT DIRECTORY D.21A REQUIRESInterchange: sender and recipient IDsUNB … UNZMessage CUSRESUNH … UNTSTART OF MESSAGEBGMBeginning of messageBODY AND SEGMENT GROUPS+ 6 conditional groups, starting with:NADRFFERPTAXDOCAUTBlue box: mandatory segment group. Conditional groups are listed by the trigger segment that starts them; a group is sent only when its data applies.Conditional segments outside groups are not drawn.Structure: mandatory segments and groups in the UN/EDIFACT directory D.21A listing for CUSRES. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds itsown requirements.
How the EDIFACT CUSRES message worksDiagram of the UN/EDIFACT CUSRES Customs response message. Customs administration sends it to declarant, carrier or agent. It usually follows CUSDEC, CUSCAR and CUSREP. Inside the UNB and UNH envelopes, the directory D.21A requires, in the start of message: BGM (Beginning of message). 6 conditional segment groups are listed by their trigger segment.How the EDIFACT CUSRESmessage worksCustoms response: who sends it, where it fitsand what the directory marks mandatory1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSCUSDECCustoms declarationCUSCARCustoms cargo reportCUSREPCustoms conveyance reportCUSRESSENDERCustomsadministrationRECEIVERDeclarant,carrier or agentCONTRL syntax report back, if agreedUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYNo business reply expected2 WHAT DIRECTORY D.21A REQUIRESInterchange: sender and recipient IDs(UNB … UNZ)Message CUSRES (UNH … UNT)START OF MESSAGEBGMBeginning of messageBODY AND SEGMENT GROUPS+ 6 conditional groups, starting with:NADRFFERPTAXDOCAUTBlue box: mandatory segment group. Conditionalgroups are listed by the trigger segment thatstarts them; a group is sent only when its dataapplies. Conditional segments outside groups arenot drawn.Structure: mandatory segments and groups in theUN/EDIFACT directory D.21A listing for CUSRES.Your trading partner's implementation guide adds itsown requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends CUSRES, to whom, and which messages usually come before and after it. The lower part shows what the directory D.21A itself requires: the envelopes around CUSRES and the segments and segment groups it marks mandatory. Conditional groups are listed by their trigger segment rather than drawn in full. This is the directory's minimum, not a trading partner's requirement: a message implementation guide, such as an industry subset or a partner’s own guide, usually makes some conditional groups mandatory, restricts the codes and may use an older directory.

Expand diagram Download SVG

When it is used

  • Acknowledging receipt of a declaration or report
  • Reporting errors in a submission
  • Communicating release, hold or inspection decisions

Where it fits in the message flow

Usually follows CUSDEC Customs declarationCUSCAR Customs cargo reportCUSREP Customs conveyance report
This message CUSRES Customs response

Structure

Mandatory segments in CUSRES (directory D.21A)

In UN/EDIFACT directory D.21A, the CUSRES message has 56 segment positions arranged in 15 segment groups. These are the segments and segment groups marked mandatory at message level, in order; a mandatory group is shown with the segment that starts it. Segments inside conditional groups are needed only when the group is used. This is the directory’s requirement, not your trading partner’s: each partner’s message implementation guide names the directory it uses, often an older one such as D.96A or D.01B where the structure can differ, makes some conditional segments mandatory and restricts the codes.

  • UNH
  • BGM
  • UNT

Practical example

CUSRES in practice

A customs broker submits a CUSDEC import declaration. Customs replies first with a CUSRES acknowledging receipt, then with another CUSRES selecting the goods for documentary control. After the broker provides the documents, a final CUSRES releases the goods, and the broker notifies the haulier.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for CUSRES

  • Route each response type to the people who must act on it.
  • Match responses to submissions by reference.
  • Treat release responses as the trigger for collection.
  • Follow the national specification for response codes.

How ECOM helps

Automate CUSRES with ECOM

Industry

Trucking and Transportation

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

Solution

Supply Chain Visibility

Track orders, shipments and invoices across partners and catch exceptions early.

Solution

EDI Integration

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

Compare X12 and EDIFACT, or see answers to general questions in the EDI FAQ.

Related messages

Related customs and regulatory messages

All 14 customs and regulatory messages

Need help with CUSRES?

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