Loading Commodity Codes and Import Code Numbers

Use

This procedure describes how to load an external file containing commodity codes or import code

numbers for use in your system.

Prerequisites

• The external file must be in ASCII format

• You need to know the structure of the file – which columns (positions) the codes, the text

descriptions and the units of measure occupy.

Procedure

1. You access this function from the Foreign Trade Data Service Cockpit.

2. Choose the appropriate tab – European Union, Japan or Other – in the Load/Compare

section of the Data Service Cockpit. Choose the Load commodity code button next to the

Commodity code field to display the selection criteria screen.

3. Enter the selection criteria and the file specifications.

Entries in the following fields are mandatory:

– Country key

– File name

– Drive

– Subdirectory

– Initial position goods number

– Final position goods number

– Initial position goods text

– Final position goods text

See the field help (F1) for detailed information about each of the fields in this procedure.

You can determine the actual positions of the columns for the data record structure

entries by opening the ASCII file and counting the spaces used for the digits and the

text characters. For this you need to identify the beginning and end positions of the

codes, their texts and units of measure (when applicable) and enter them in the

corresponding fields.

For example, for a commodity code file with the contents "12345678 Sample text"

(with no unit of measure), you should make the following entries in the data record

structure section:

Data Record Structure

Field


Entry

Initial pos. goods no.


1

Final pos. goods no.


8

Initial pos. goods text


10

Final pos. goods text


21

If there is no unit of measure (optional entry), the last position for the goods text can be a

number that is much greater than the actual final position for the goods text (for example,

200).

4. If you want to use this set of codes as the basis for maintaining the codes in the system,

select Carry out preparations and enter an identification code in the Key for upload field. You

will need this key to access this set of codes during maintenance.

5. If you are installing codes from floppy disks or several files

– For the first disk or file, select First data carrier

– For additional disks or files, select Further data carriers

6. Execute the function.

Results

The system uploads the file contents to the SAP System.

Potential Errors

When you execute this report, the system issues an error message if

• The values for the beginning and end positions overlap

• You enter an incorrect length for a commodity code or import code

number

• The length for the codes has not been maintained for the country you

enter on the selection screen.

You assign commodity code and import code lengths for each country in

Table T609S in Customizing (see Sales → Foreign Trade/Customs →

Basic Data for Foreign Trade → Length of commodity Codes/Import
Code Numbers).