ERROR: invalid input syntax for type timestamp: ""

Hello,

I am using Postgres version 8.3.17 on one of my database server. I have received a .sql dump file from my client. Which is supposed to be taken from a Postgres 8.3.7 db. Now, I have created an empty database and I am trying to restore the .sql file with command psql command. After few GBs of restoration, I am getting an error –

ALTER TABLE

SET

SET

ERROR:  invalid input syntax for type timestamp: ""

CONTEXT:  COPY job_step_history, line 16211941, column start_time: ""

I tried printing this line no – 16211941 from the .sql dump file with  command - sed -n "16211941 p" <filename.sql> . The row has values –

17338525        1       309     6       205636  2009-09-04 22:02:46.199 1       2009-09-04 22:02:46.198 1       \N

What can be the possible cause for this error? Please help.

Regards,

Swanand