Warehouse Arrival Certification Message (WACM) Guide (CBSA)

This article is part of the BorderConnect PARS Software Guide

This guide offers instructions on using BorderConnect's Warehouse Arrival Certification Message (WACM) feature through the Release Notification System (RNS). It assumes that the user has an active software subscription and that RNS registration is complete. If registration is not complete, see the registration instructions below under Getting Started.

A Warehouse Arrival Certification Message is an electronic notification sent by a Canadian sufferance warehouse when unreleased cargo physically arrives at the warehouse. WACM became mandatory on May 6, 2015, under an amendment to the Customs Sufferance Warehouse Regulations. This electronic requirement replaced the previous method of manual arrivals and transfer of liability at inland destinations.^[1]

Warehouse operators or owners who receive unreleased goods into their sufferance warehouses must transmit WACM. Registered participants transmit WACM through CBSA's Release Notification System (RNS) using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). Operators may also use a third-party service provider, such as BorderConnect, to transmit arrival messages.^[1]

CBSA guidance also states that a WACM must be transmitted for each cargo control number (CCN) destined to the warehouse sub-location. For consolidated shipments, only the primary consolidated CCN is required when the lower-level electronic house bills are destined to the same warehouse. For non-consolidated shipments, a WACM is required for each non-consolidated CCN.^[1]

Getting Started

BorderConnect Virtual Workshop - RNS-PARS Software and RNS Arrivals (WACM)

If you have not already done so, the easiest way to start transmitting WACM to CBSA using BorderConnect RNS is to contact BorderConnect.

If you have not registered to use RNS with BorderConnect and would like to add this feature yourself, navigate to the Account menu on the top right and click Company Details. Where the warehouse sublocation code is listed, click RNS Registration and print the document. If the sublocation code is not listed, use the New Sub Location button to add it or contact BorderConnect for assistance.

A person with signing authority must print and sign the document and send it back to BorderConnect by fax or email. BorderConnect will then send the registration to CBSA on the user's behalf. RNS subscription activation can take approximately 1-2 weeks.

Video Tutorial

Sending Warehouse Arrival Certification Messages (WACM) in BorderConnect

Sending a WACM to CBSA

Once the warehouse RNS application has been approved by CBSA, the user can start sending Warehouse Arrival Certification Messages using RNS. When unreleased shipments arrive at the warehouse, send an arrival message for each required cargo control number.

Selecting **Send RNS Arrival** from the PARS Shipments menu

To send an arrival message, log in to BorderConnect, open the PARS Shipments menu, and select Send New RNS Arrival. This opens the Send RNS Arrival Request for Canadian Shipment page.

On the Send RNS Arrival Request for Canadian Shipment page, enter the Cargo Control Number, warehouse sublocation code, arrival date, and arrival time. Then click Send Arrival Request to CBSA. CBSA response timing can vary, but the response will appear on BorderConnect's RNS Arrival Search page.

Important WACM Rules

A WACM should only be transmitted after the unreleased goods have physically arrived at the sufferance warehouse. CBSA's AMPS contravention C274 states that non-compliance occurs when a WACM is submitted before the shipment physically arrives at the CBSA office or sufferance warehouse, or when a WACM contains information that is not true, accurate, or complete.^[2]

The warehouse operator remains responsible for WACM compliance even if a third party transmits the arrival notice on its behalf. CBSA states that where a third party is used to transmit the arrival notice for a warehouse operator, the penalty still applies to the warehouse operator.^[2]

Each WACM should be checked against the physical shipment, Cargo Control Number, sublocation code, arrival date, and arrival time before it is sent. If a warehouse is unsure whether the goods have legally arrived or whether the correct CCN should be arrived, it should confirm with the carrier, freight forwarder, customs broker, or CBSA before transmitting.

WACM Response Messages

The table below outlines common responses to an arrival message and the usual action to take.

Response	Meaning	Usual action
RELEASED	The cargo control number has successfully arrived and is now in released status.	No further action is required. The goods can exit the warehouse and are no longer considered in bond.
ARRIVED*	CBSA has accepted the WACM, but there is no entry on file by a customs broker yet.	No further action is required for the arrival. The goods are not released yet, but the arrival reporting requirement has been met.
HELD FOR EXAM - Examination Required	The WACM was accepted, but an examination for the shipment is required.	Contact CBSA to schedule the examination. A held notice may also be received later.
ERROR - Cannot arrive, goods already released and acquitted	The WACM was rejected, but the cargo control number is already released.	No further action is normally required. The goods can exit the warehouse and are no longer considered in bond.
ERROR - Arrival office does not match release office	The WACM was rejected because the port on the WACM does not match the port the customs broker used on the entry.	Verify that the correct warehouse sublocation code was used. If incorrect, send a new arrival message. If correct, contact the customs broker and ask them to revise the port used on the entry.
ERROR - Request ID already in arrived status	The WACM was rejected, but the cargo control number is already in arrived status.	No further action is required. The goods are not released yet, but the arrival reporting requirement has been met.
ERROR - Arrival is already on file with matching Port and Warehouse	The WACM was rejected, but the cargo control number is already in arrived status with the corresponding port and warehouse.	No further action is required.
ERROR - Cannot arrive CCN if acquitted	The WACM was rejected, but the cargo control number is already released.	No further action is normally required. The goods can exit the warehouse and are no longer considered in bond.
ERROR - Related conveyance must be arrived and in good final decision status	The shipment is linked to an ACI eManifest that is still in a pre-arrival state and has not yet arrived in Canada.	Make sure the WACM is not being sent before the shipment physically arrives at the bonded warehouse. If the goods are already there, contact the carrier so the eManifest can be updated, then resend the WACM.
ERROR - Related conveyance must be authorized to move and arrive	The shipment is linked to an ACI eManifest that is not yet in the required status for arrival.	Confirm that the shipment has physically arrived and coordinate with the carrier if the linked eManifest needs to be updated.
ERROR - Arrival work location code must be the same as the port of destination on House Bill	The WACM was rejected because the port on the WACM does not match the port the freight forwarder used on the House Bill.	Verify that the correct warehouse sublocation code was used. If incorrect, send a new arrival message. If correct, contact the freight forwarder and ask them to revise the port used on the House Bill.

Warehouse Arrival Search Page

The Warehouse Arrival Search page can be used to confirm whether CBSA accepted an arrival message, review previous WACM responses, and investigate error messages that indicate a sublocation, port, or linked-conveyance mismatch.

Users should use the search page to confirm that every WACM sent to CBSA received the expected response. Keeping arrival records can help the warehouse verify compliance if a shipment status is questioned later.

Best Practices

Send WACM only after the goods have physically arrived at the sufferance warehouse.
Verify the Cargo Control Number before sending the arrival request.
Confirm that the warehouse sublocation code matches the warehouse where the goods arrived.
Do not send duplicate arrival messages unless correcting a rejected or incorrect message.
Review CBSA responses on the Warehouse Arrival Search page after sending.
Contact the broker, freight forwarder, carrier, or CBSA if a port, sublocation, or related-conveyance error appears.
Keep internal records showing when the goods arrived and when the WACM was transmitted.

Related Pages

Official Resources

References

[cn22-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 CBSA Customs Notice 22-17 - Mandatory electronic notification of cargo at sufferance warehouses

[amps-c274-2] 2.0 ^2.1 CBSA AMPS Contravention C274

[1]

[2]