Electronic customs processing with SAP Customs Management is based on messages that

are exchanged between SAP Global Trade Services (SAP GTS) and the customs
authorities. This message exchange involves two message formats: IDoc format in SAP
GTS and the message format of the respective customs authorities. A converter system is
responsible for communication between SAP GTS and the customs authority system, and
converts the IDocs sent by SAP GTS into message formats that the customs authority
system can read.

IDoc status values, which SAP GTS or the converter system generate based on the system
responses of the individual components, serve to monitor message transmission. These
IDoc status values indicate whether or not the communication with the customs
authorities was successful. Should communication problems occur, the IDoc status lets
you track down the instance where these problems took place, and initiate steps to rectify
them.

The overview below shows the instances involved in electronic communication with the
customs authorities, along with the expected positive processing and transmission status
values for IDocs. The IDoc status values are specific to the SAP systems, and are valid
independently of the individual customs processes and converter systems used.

As illustrated in the overview, the following status values can occur during
communication with the customs authorities:

● Outbound messages

○ – IDoc generated

○ – IDoc is ready for dispatch (ALE service)

○ – Data transfer to port OK

○ – Interchange handling OK

○ – Conversion OK

○ – Dispatch OK
○ Connection protocol-specific: – Dispatch OK, acknowledgement pending

○ Connection protocol-specific: - Interchange acknowledgement positive

The system only sets IDoc status values 22 (dispatch OK, acknowledgement pending)
and 14 (interchange acknowledgement positive) if the customs authority system requires
it or elicits a response. This is the case for communication with German customs
authorities, for example.

If the customs authority system does not output these system responses, the converter
system cannot set these status values. In this case, the outbound communication process
is completed successfully when IDoc status 12 (dispatch OK) is sent.

● Inbound messages

○ – IDoc added

○ – IDoc is ready for transfer to application

○ – IDoc transferred to application

○ – Application document posted

The IDoc status values are only visible in your SAP GTS system.

Prerequisites

You have configured the following settings in SAP GTS:

● Create converter system as business partner

● Create RFC user and password for converter system for inbound processing

● Create the TCP/IP connection for the RFC call of the converter system during
outbound processing, and save the access data in the RFC configuration for message
transmission from the converter system to SAP GTS

● Configure repeat tRFC call in case of system failure

You configure these settings in transaction SM59 under menu path Edit ® tRFC Options.

● Configure an IDoc with type Status in transaction WE20, to enable SAP GTS to
interpret the status that the converter system sends to SAP GTS and to display the status
in the IDoc overview.

● Generate the automatic workflow customizing in transaction SWU3 for the status IDoc
from the converter system by. To do so, start the transaction and choose Perform
Automatic Workflow Customizing.

For information regarding the settings in the converter system, refer to the specific
documentation for the converter system.

Communication Process

Outbound – Communication Process for Messages that SAP GTS Sends to Customs
Authorities

1. When you select a message in the Communication tab page and choose Send in a

customs shipment from the transit procedure or a customs declaration for customs
processing, the system generates a message and assigns it status 01 (IDoc created). The
IDoc is predefined and is filled with the document data of the customs shipment or
customs declaration. When the IDoc is created, the system detects the specific message
involved and checks it for completeness. This check is based on the settings for the
incompleteness check in SAP GTS Customizing.

2. Based on the document data, the system determines the relevant data required for
message routing. This processing step corresponds to IDoc status 30 (IDoc is ready for
dispatch (ALE service)).
 3. After this processing, the system passes the IDoc on to the port for forwarding to the
converter system, and sets IDoc status 03 (data transfer to port OK). The system sends the
IDocs between SAP GTS and the converter system in a transactional remote function call
(tRFC).

4. As soon as the converter system receives a message for processing, it sends a status
10 with the receipt confirmation to SAP GTS.

5. The converter system first saves the received IDocs (if necessary), converts them to
the customs authority message format, and sends status 06 to SAP GTS when conversion
is successful.

6. The converter system then transmits the converted message to the customs
authorities through an EDI connection. As soon as the message successfully leaves the
message outbound queue through the converter system interface – in the customs
authority message format – the converter system reports status 12 to SAP GTS. When
this status is set, the message transmission process from SAP GTS to the customs
authorities is complete.

7. Additional system responses may be possible, depending on the transmission

protocol. The converter system can analyze these system responses and send them to SAP
GTS as status notifications.

Status 22 indicates that the converter system successfully transferred the message to the
transmission port. If the transmission port outputs a status as soon as a message leaves the
port successfully, the converter system can report status 14 to SAP TS.

Inbound – Communication Process for Messages that SAP GTS Receives as Replies
from the Customs Authorities

The system can only assign an IDoc status value if an incoming message is recognized in
SAP GTS as an IDoc.

1. When the converter system receives a message from the customs authorities via the
EDI connection, in the specific customs message format, it converts it into an IDoc and
transfers it to SAP GTS in a tRFC, and then sets status 50 (IDoc added) when the IDoc is
received by the SAP GTS port. The IDoc is thus entered in the system.
 2. SAP GTS interprets the technical information in the received message that enables
inbound processing. After successful analysis, the system sets status 64 (IDoc is ready for
transfer to application).

3. After the technical analysis, when the system passes the IDoc on to the application, it
has an interim status – IDoc status 62 (IDoc transferred to application).The inbound
message has now been assigned to the relevant business process.

4. The system then posts the data contained in the IDoc. A successful update results in
IDoc status 53 (application document posted). This concludes the process for inbound
processing of messages.