Census Offers Tips for Sold En Route Indicator, Shipping Weight Error Messages

The Census Bureau emailed tips this week on how to address the most frequent messages generated this month in the Automated Export System.

Response code 303 is a fatal error for when the "Party Type" is identified as "Ultimate Consignee" and the "Sold En Route Indicator" isn't reported as a "Yes or No." Census said the ultimate consignee information for an electronic export filing must be reported with a valid Sold En Route Indicator. If the ultimate consignee is "known and reported, set the Sold En Route Indicator to No. If the cargo is to be Sold En Route and the ultimate consignee is not known at the time of export, then set the Sold En Route Indicator to Yes," the agency said. The filer should then resubmit the filing.

Response code 538 is another fatal error for when the filer reports a mode of transportation code that identifies a vessel, rail, truck or air shipment, but the shipping weight wasn't reported. Filers should verify the transportation mode and shipping weight, correct the shipment and resubmit.