Routing Logic Directives (RLD) built into EPISHIP control shipments through the rate and label manifest processes of the supply chain.
The purpose of this article is to detail the Afferent Line Items Rule, a specific RLD Rule type, that targets the transformation and control of line item (commodity) information before a rate or label request is processed.
A rate or label request, especially for international shipments, relies heavily on accurate line item data—such as descriptions, Harmonized System (HS) codes, and unit values—to determine customs clearance, duties, taxes, and shipping costs. Sometimes, the raw line item data submitted from a shopping cart or ERP system is incomplete or improperly formatted for carrier requirements. This is where the Afferent Line Items Rule comes in. Unlike Efferent rules that post-process carrier responses, the Afferent Line Items Rule pre-processes the request to explicitly modify the line item details (e.g., dynamically injecting missing HS codes, standardizing commodity descriptions, or altering stated values) before the request is ever submitted to the carrier network. The Afferent Line Items Rule is one rule type within an RLD Template.
Any number of Afferent Line Items Rules can be built within an RLD Template to match business objectives. Each Afferent Line Items Rule includes the following components.
Match conditions of criteria operators include the following types: All (AND), Any (OR), None (Not).
Sender fields available for match criteria include the follow properties:
Receiver fields available for match criteria include the follow properties:
Package fields available for match criteria include the follow properties:
Line Items fields available for match criteria include the follow properties:
Options fields available for match criteria include the follow properties:
References fields available for match criteria include the follow properties:
Rate fields available for match criteria include the follow properties:
Time fields available for match criteria include the follow properties:
The match criteria types listed above are used within individual rules or can be combined into a single rule to target specific conditions that include several match criteria.
The shipment request is modified according to the rules defined within the Afferent Line Items Rule matched within the RLD Template. The transformation functionality available to be included within the RLD template is as follows.
This configuration dictates exactly how the line item properties are altered in the outgoing request payload. Once the match criteria are met, the request is transformed to override, append, or remove specific line item fields—such as Line Item SKU, Description, HS Code, Country of Origin, or Unit Value—with explicitly defined replacement values before the carrier processes the rate, generates a label, or formulates customs documentation.
Usual use cases for Afferent Line Items Rules within an RLD Template are numerous. Some common use cases include the following:
Automatically inject the correct Harmonized System (HS) Code and Country of Origin into the payload when specific internal SKUs are detected, ensuring seamless international customs clearance.
Standardize or translate raw, internal product descriptions (e.g., changing “T-SHRT-BLU-M” to “100% Cotton Blue Men’s T-Shirt”) so that they are acceptable for commercial invoices.
Adjust or mask specific line item unit values for sample products, promotional items, or replacements to reflect an accurate customs value rather than the standard retail price.
