Entry Type

Entry Type - Industry Standard Definition and Behaviours

Overview

Entry Type describes how cargo enters or moves through customs territory. It affects routing, documentation, customs clearance procedures, and duty treatment. This document defines a unified set of options aligned with industry practice, customs regulations, and competitor systems.

Industry References

• U.S. Trade.gov – Direct Shipment, Transshipment, Imported Directly (FTA rules)
• 19 CFR 10.604 – Transit and transshipment (U.S. customs regulations)
• UK NCTS – New Computerised Transit System (Common Transit Convention)
• EU Customs Transit – Union transit, common transit procedures
• TIR Convention – International road transport under customs seal
• ICC ATA Carnet – Temporary admission (exhibitions, samples, professional equipment)
• WCO – World Customs Organization guidelines

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Unified Entry Type Options

Option	Description	Customs Treatment	Use Case
Direct	Cargo shipped directly from origin to destination. No intermediate stops or customs clearance en route. Standard import/export procedure.	Full customs clearance at destination (import) or origin (export). Duty paid or deferred per normal rules.	Most common. Point-to-point shipments.
Transit	Cargo passes through intermediate territory under customs control (TIR, NCTS, In-Bond, common transit). No duty payment at intermediate points.	Goods remain under customs supervision. Transit declaration required. Must reach customs office of destination within stipulated period.	Cross-border transit, EU Common Transit, land-bridge.
Transshipment	Cargo transferred between vessels/aircraft at an intermediate port or hub. May involve customs at transfer point.	May require temporary storage, customs at transshipment port, or transit procedure through hub.	Hub-and-spoke routing, cargo transfer, feeder services.
ATA Carnet	Temporary admission for exhibitions, samples, professional equipment. Duty-free for up to 1 year (ICC/WCO).	No duty payment. Carnet serves as customs document. Must re-export within validity.	Trade shows, equipment demos, commercial samples.

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Behaviour by Entry Type

1. Direct

Aspect	Behaviour
Documentation	Standard commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading. Customs declaration at destination (import) or origin (export).
Customs	Full import/export clearance. Duty and taxes per normal rules. No transit or temporary admission.
Routing	Single leg: origin to destination. No intermediate ports for customs purposes.
Validation	No special checks. Default for most shipments.
Declaration	Standard declaration type. No transit or carnet fields.

2. Transit

Aspect	Behaviour
Documentation	Transit declaration (TIR, NCTS, In-Bond). Goods remain under customs seal/supervision.
Customs	No duty at intermediate points. Transit procedure from office of departure to office of destination. Time limits apply.
Routing	Multiple legs with intermediate customs offices. create_routing_for_transit_entry() can auto-create routing legs.
Validation	When Transit: ensure routing has transit-compliant legs; transit declaration may be required.
Declaration	Transit declaration type. Transit reference number, office of departure/destination.

3. Transshipment

Aspect	Behaviour
Documentation	May require transshipment permit, temporary storage, or transit procedure at hub.
Customs	Cargo transferred at intermediate port. May clear temporarily or move under transit. Hub customs may apply.
Routing	Multiple legs with intermediate port(s). Transfer between vessels/aircraft at hub.
Validation	When Transshipment: routing should reflect intermediate port(s). Transfer documentation.
Declaration	May require transshipment declaration or transit at hub.

4. ATA Carnet

Aspect	Behaviour
Documentation	ATA Carnet (ICC). Yellow counterfoils (US), white (foreign), blue (transit). Valid up to 1 year.
Customs	Temporary admission. No duty. Goods must re-export. Carnet holder responsible for compliance.
Routing	Standard routing. Special customs handling at each border.
Validation	Carnet number, validity date. Eligible goods only (samples, exhibitions, professional equipment).
Declaration	ATA Carnet declaration. Not for sale/lease, processing, or consumables.

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Applicable DocTypes

DocType	Field	Purpose
Sales Quote Air Freight	air_entry_type	Quote-level entry type
Sales Quote Sea Freight	sea_entry_type	Quote-level entry type
Air Booking	entry_type	Booking entry type
Air Shipment	entry_type	Shipment entry type
Sea Booking	entry_type	Booking entry type
Sea Shipment	entry_type	Shipment entry type
Air Freight Settings	default_entry_type	Default for new Air Bookings
Declaration	(links to shipment)	Customs declaration type may derive from shipment entry_type

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Implementation Behaviours (Code-Level)

Validation Rules

Entry Type	Rule	Implementation
Direct	No special validation	Default. Single leg routing.
Transit	Routing may have intermediate legs	create_routing_for_transit_entry() creates transit legs when implemented.
Transshipment	Routing should include hub/transfer point	Intermediate port in routing.
ATA Carnet	Carnet number, validity	When ATA Carnet: validate carnet fields if present.

Routing Logic

Entry Type	Routing Behaviour
Direct	Single leg: origin → destination.
Transit	Multiple legs with customs offices. Transit procedure.
Transshipment	Multiple legs with intermediate port (transfer point).
ATA Carnet	Standard routing. Special customs at borders.

Customs / Declaration Integration

• Direct – Standard import/export declaration.
• Transit – Transit declaration (TIR, NCTS, In-Bond).
• Transshipment – Transshipment permit or transit at hub.
• ATA Carnet – ATA Carnet declaration; no duty.

Valid Values (Code)

valid_entry_types = ["Direct", "Transit", "Transshipment", "ATA Carnet"]

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Migration

Old Value	New Value
Customs Permit	Direct
Break-Bulk	Direct
ATA Carnet	ATA Carnet (unchanged)
Transshipment	Transshipment (unchanged)
(none)	Direct (default)

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Summary

Entry Type	Customs	Routing	Documentation
Direct	Full clearance	Single leg	Standard commercial
Transit	No duty at intermediate	Multi-leg, customs offices	Transit declaration
Transshipment	May clear at hub	Multi-leg, transfer point	Transshipment/transit
ATA Carnet	Temporary, no duty	Standard	ATA Carnet