Cargo Control Number (Customs Glossary Guide)

This article is part of the Customs Glossary Guide

A PARS barcode label with a Cargo Control Number.

A Cargo Control Number (CCN) is a shipment identifier used by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to control and track commercial cargo entering Canada. It identifies cargo reported on a transport document and links the carrier's cargo report to related release, accounting, and status information.^[1]

For highway carriers, the CCN is often the same number printed on the PARS barcode label. The broker must use the same CCN on the release request so CBSA can match the broker's entry to the carrier's ACI eManifest cargo report.

What is a PARS shipment? For highway carriers, the PARS number is typically the Cargo Control Number.

Format

A CBSA Cargo Control Number is made from two parts:

The first four characters are the CBSA-approved Carrier Code.
The remaining characters are a unique reference number assigned by the carrier or freight forwarder.

In the eManifest Portal, CBSA describes the highway CCN as a carrier code followed by a unique carrier or freight-forwarder assigned number.^[2] It must be at least five characters in total, cannot contain spaces, and must not exceed 25 characters.^[2]

Example:

Carrier code: 8080
Carrier reference: PARS123456
Cargo Control Number: 8080PARS123456

If letters such as "PARS" are printed as part of the barcode number, those letters are part of the CCN and must be included exactly in the electronic transmission and broker release request.

Uniqueness and Matching

The carrier or freight forwarder is responsible for assigning a unique reference number. Once a CCN has been used, it should not be reused during the applicable CBSA retention and reuse period. CBSA eManifest Portal guidance states that a used CCN cannot be reused for three years.^[2]

The CCN must match across all parties:

The carrier's ACI eManifest cargo report
The PARS barcode or cargo control document
The customs broker's release request
RNS or eManifest status checks

Even small differences, such as omitting "PARS" from a barcode number or changing a letter, can prevent CBSA from matching the release to the carrier's cargo report.

Common Uses

PARS Shipments: For a standard PARS shipment, the carrier assigns a CCN and provides it to the customs broker. The broker files the release request using that same CCN, and the carrier transmits the ACI cargo report before arrival.

In Bond Shipments: For in bond movements, the CCN identifies the cargo control document and helps track the goods while they remain under CBSA control.

Freight Forwarder and House Bill Cargo: Freight forwarders can assign house bill numbers that function as CCNs for deconsolidated cargo. These numbers link house bill information to the related primary cargo control document.

Temporary Imports and Special Shipment Types: Temporary admissions, personal goods, and other special movements may still require a CCN or cargo control document when goods are reported to CBSA.

Release and Status Tracking: RNS and eManifest notices use the CCN as the shipment identifier. If the carrier, broker, and importer do not use the same number, release status can appear missing even when the broker has submitted an entry.

In BorderConnect ACI eManifest software, the Cargo Control Number is entered on the ACI shipment and transmitted to CBSA as part of the cargo data. The CCN is one of the main values used to connect the electronic ACI shipment, the PARS label, the customs broker's release request, and CBSA status messages.

Common BorderConnect uses include:

Use	How the CCN Is Used
Create an ACI Shipment	The user enters the CCN on the ACI shipment. BorderConnect checks the number for basic format rules, such as length and valid characters, to help prevent CBSA rejects.
PARS Shipments	The CCN is usually the PARS number printed on the barcode label. It should be entered exactly as shown on the paperwork supplied to the broker.
Company Numbering Settings	BorderConnect company settings can be configured to help generate sequential CCNs, including optional prefixes such as "PARS", depending on the carrier's numbering process.
PARS/RNS Status Checking	BorderConnect PARS and RNS tools use the CCN to find accepted, released, and other shipment-status messages connected to a carrier's code.
Manual Status Query	A user can send a status query by entering the full CCN exactly as shown on the PARS sticker or other document. This is useful when checking another carrier's PARS or confirming whether a shipment is accepted or released.
Quick Assign Shipment	On an ACI eManifest, Quick Assign Shipment can attach an unassociated shipment to a manifest by Cargo Control Number when the shipment has already been created separately.
Reference Only Shipments	When hauling freight reported by another carrier, BorderConnect can support reference-only shipment workflows where the secondary carrier references the primary carrier's CCN instead of filing duplicate cargo.

If a carrier is hauling freight reported by another carrier or freight forwarder, the carrier should confirm whether it needs to report its own cargo, reference another party's cargo, or use another permitted reporting process before transmitting.^[3]

Common BorderConnect Issues

Many CCN problems are caused by small differences between the number used by the carrier and the number used by the broker.

Issue	What To Check
PARS not showing as accepted or released	Confirm the broker used the exact same CCN as the carrier's ACI shipment.
Barcode includes "PARS" but ACI does not	If "PARS" is printed as part of the barcode number, include it in the CCN entered in BorderConnect.
Spaces, dashes, or punctuation	Remove spaces and special characters unless specifically part of the approved numbering format.
Wrong carrier code	Confirm the first four characters match the carrier code used for the shipment.
Duplicate number	Use a new unique reference number and avoid reusing a CCN within the CBSA reuse period.
Another carrier's freight	Confirm whether the movement should use a reference-only shipment or another carrier/freight-forwarder reporting process.

Official Resources

References

↑ Canada Border Services Agency, Memorandum D3-1-1: Policy Respecting the Importation and Transportation of Goods.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 Canada Border Services Agency, eManifest Portal: House Bills.
↑ BorderConnect, Referencing Another Carrier's ACI Shipment.

[CBSA-D3-1-1-1] Canada Border Services Agency, Memorandum D3-1-1: Policy Respecting the Importation and Transportation of Goods.

[CBSA-House-Bills-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 Canada Border Services Agency, eManifest Portal: House Bills.

[BorderConnect-Reference-Only-3] BorderConnect, Referencing Another Carrier's ACI Shipment.

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