FAQs

A: Here are some guidelines that will help when you are trying to do an extraction:

• Excel has limitations on what it can handle. Hence, MS-Excel (XLSX) files have an upper limit of 1,000,000 records or rows.

• If you want to go up to that limit, we recommend no more than 10 columns.

• Larger fields can cause more problems.  Notes and descriptions are the largest fields. Even if individual descriptions are short, the field length is still identified in the database and may cause challenges.

• If you want to have 20 columns, we recommend limiting the number of records to 30,000.

• You can also filter by a column without extracting it. In the Search Fields section, deselect the Display checkbox next to the column you want to remove. Then click Search.  The search results will continue to be filtered by all of the search criteria, even if the column is not being displayed but when you extract the search results, the column will not appear.

• Extractions with more than 20 columns (especially with notes or descriptions) will likely be too complex and will not extract successfully.

See Extract Trade Partner Data for more information on extractions.

A: You can change a few settings on your Internet Explorer browser to get the extract to appear in a new window.

 

1. In Internet Explorer, press Alt on your keyboard. Click Tools>Internet Options.

2. Select the Security tab, then click Custom level....

3. Change these settings:

   • Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins: Enable

   • Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting*: Enable

   • Automatic prompting for file downloads: Enable

   • File download: Enable

   • Font download: Enable

 

A: These spaces hold additional fields that are activated when certain Trade Partner types are selected.

A: Yes, the TPC is fully EDI capable.  Contact your Expeditors representative for setup and implementation details.  Data can be sent and/or received with any ERP or other customer system as well as with your trade partners' systems.

A: Yes, you can use them but they must be encased in quotations marks.

 

Take the table below for example:

1	hello, sally	this is fun	no, it isn't!
2	where?	there	huh?
3	hey!	"what" happened	stop...
4	oh.	"huh?" he said,	wow.

 

For row 1, a correct version would look like this:

"hello, sally"

this is fun

"no, it isn't!"

The data in the second cell does not require quotes because it doesn't contain commas, quotations, or apostrophes.

 

For row 2, the data does not need quotes.  Adding quotes will not affect the data.

 

For row 3, a correct version would look like this:

hey!

""what"" happened"

stop...

The data in the second cell needs double quotes. Data in cells one and three do not require quotes.

 

For row 4, a correct version would look like this:

oh.

"""huh?"" he said,"

wow.

The data in the second cell contains both elements.

A: Comma Separated Value (CSV) file format will drop the leading zeros from a saved file. For example, an organization may have Product IDs of 0001, 0002, 0003.  The product upload file is created and saved as CSV but the Product IDs will no longer have the zeros. To fix this, the file needs to be opened and modified.

 

One way to avoid this problem is to extract using the MS-Excel with names (XLSX) format (where available). Generally, CSV format is best when providing data to a computer and MS-Excel (XLSX) is more user-friendly.

 

To fix files that have been losing/dropping the leading zeros:

 

1.  Change the file name extension to be .txt instead of .csv.  For example, if a file is named "MyResults.csv" you would change it to be "MyResults.txt"

 

2.  In Excel, click File>Open. Select the file you renamed to be a .txt file in step 1.

 

3.  The Text Import Wizard will appear.

     

     Figure 1: Text Import Wizard

 

4.  Select the Delimited radio button and then click Next>.

 

5.  For Step 2 of 3, select only the comma check box, then click Next>.

     

     Figure 2: Step 2 of 3 in Text Import Wizard

 

6.  For Step 3 of 3, click the column(s) with the leading zero data (in this example, the middle column) and select the Text radio button.

     

     Figure 3: Step 3 of 3 in Text Import Wizard

 

7.  Click Finish, the file will now open without dropping leading zeros. Click File>Save As and select .csv.  When you save, make sure your column with the leading zeros is formatted as text.

A: Each file format can be used by users to upload data into the system.  

CSV format is the most simple and flat format, much like a spreadsheet.  It can handle most simple relationships within the data (for example, a product with 1 HS Code, a booking with 1 product, etc.).  

Super CSV is a bit more complex and structured but still something that is viewable in Excel.  This format can support most 1-to-many relationships with respect to the main thing you are uploading (for example, a product with multiple descriptions, a partner with multiple contacts, a booking with multiple products).  

XML is the most comprehensive and complex format available.  This format supports nesting and a variety of levels of data (for example, a product kit with multiple classifications and different details by component or sub-component).  

Generally, the CSV format can send data to basic screens whereas the Super-CSV and XML are required for more advanced screens.

A: Each file format can be used by users to extract data from the system.  

CSV and MS-Excel (XLSX) formats are structurally the same in terms of content.  Users would select XLSX over CSV for human-readable reports or content that they would want to analyze in Excel (Excel tends to change CSV data like removing leading zeros or reformatting columns).  

CSV works best for sending to another system.   Both the CSV and XLSX formats offer the ability to pull coded data elements (for example, country) out as a name (for example, Switzerland) or as a code (for example, CH).  

The difference between CSV/XLSX and XML is similar to the differences in the uploads.  CSV/XLSX extracts support the more basic functions in the Centre and simpler (1-to-1 - for example, a product with 1 description) data whereas the XML supports the more complex (1-to-many - for example, a booking with documents) scenarios.

A: If you would like more information about Tradeflow, contact Tradeflow Sales. Go to the Tradeflow login page and click the Contact Tradeflow Sales link under the Support category. Fill out the desired fields on the Contact page and click Send.

A: If you need assistance with Tradeflow, contact Tradeflow Helpdesk. Go to the Tradeflow login page and click the Contact Tradeflow Helpdesk link under the Support category. Fill out the desired fields on the Contact page and click Send.  The Contact Tradeflow Helpdesk link is also on the left navigation panel of all pages in Tradeflow.  If you click on one of the links while logged in, all of your information will pre-populate the form.

A: There are two ways to get the screening history.  You can click History on the Trade Partner Edit page or from the Trade Party Screen Results tab, you can click the Screening Audit button.  This history can also be extracted to Excel.

See Screening Audit Trail for more information.

A: You can store up to 6 different addresses on a Trade Partner.  Storing an address is not required.  The first address must be the Primary address and each address type may only be used once.

A: You can store an unlimited number of contacts on a Trade Partner.  The first contact must be the Primary contact and you may only have one primary contact. The other contact types have an unlimited number. See Add Contacts for more information.

A: The easiest way to create a sponsored Trade Partner is to register them.  Only the Org. Admin user can click Register and complete the registration details.  The trade partner will be notified of the invitation.  If they are already a Tradeflow user, they can attach the invitation to their existing setup or accept the invitation to be created as a new organization.

A: A Sponsored Trade Partner is someone who has been set up to have access to an organizations data.  Only the Org. Admin user can designate someone as a Sponsored Trade Partner, during registration.

A: Organization Administrators can set up viewing rights for trade partners that have access to the organization's data (for example, a sponsored Trade Partner).  These explicit viewing rights grant visibility to records in the application based on the associated Trade Partner(s).  The default setting is to not filter by Trade Partner.  It can be set to filter by the Trade Partner or a subset of Trade Partners with the organization (for example, a buying or selling agent). See Viewing Rights for more information.

A: Organization Administrators can identify company hierarchies in the Trade Partner Centre to designate subsidiaries or divisions of an organization.  This allows for implicit viewing rights for parent Trade Partners as well as the ability to search across Trade Partner subsidiaries within the other modules of the system. See Parent/Child Relationships for more information.

A: The Account ID is the number that the Trade Partner uses to identify the organization (for example, the Trade Partner refers to the Tradeflow organization as Customer 563, which would be the Account ID).

A: The Manufacturer ID is a code the US Customs and Border Protection uses to identify vendors and manufacturers in the US import declaration process.

A: EPCI stands for the Enhanced Proliferation Control Initiative. See the Security FAQ section for more information.

A: The Public Directory houses information about organizations that have decided to make themselves visible to all Tradeflow users.  These are generally carriers and forwarders who can receive data from the system.  When booking in an EDI environment, it is critical to have your Send Booking To booking party connected to a public organization to ensure EDI connectivity.  All Expeditors branches are available in the Public Directory. See Associate a Trade Partner with a Public Organization for more information.

A: The DDTC Registration Number, also called Registrant Code, is assigned by DDTC, which is the Directorate of Defense State Controls of the US State Department.  Before applying for licenses or using an exemption, US exporters must first register with DDTC.  The registration number can be assigned to the Trade Partner to be used for booking and document creation (including US SED).

A: The functionality is basically the same.  There is one additional feature in the TPC that allows you to only screen against the net changes to the government lists since the last screening.  To use this criteria, set the Yes radio button for the Screen from Last Screened Date field.

A: EPCI screening is a user-initiated process to record that any Trade Partners designated as End Users are not involved in Chemical or Biological Weaponry, Missile or Nuclear Technology.  You can set the date of the screening to ensure this is kept current.

A: Users can create saved searches including the EPCI screening date.  Set the filter criteria to More than X days ago to always ensure a screening stays fresh.  Additionally, Organization Administrators can set a preference to email them when the time since the last screening has been more than one year.

A: Yes, there are rudimentary tools in the Trade Partner Centre to track that the Trade Partner has been assessed.  The security assessed flag can be set and saved searches can be created to identify those Trade Partners that have not been assessed.  Also, security questionnaires and documentation can be saved as documents associated to the Trade Partner.