Automated Export Systems (AES)

The January 2007 issue of the AES Newsletter is available online:
Click here to view the AES Newsletter

The Automated Export System (AES) is a joint venture between CBP, the Foreign Trade Division of the Bureau of the Census (Commerce), the Bureau of Industry and Security (Commerce), the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (State), other Federal agencies, and the export trade community. It is the central point through which export shipment data required by multiple agencies is filed electronically to Customs, using the efficiencies of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). AES provides an alternative to filing paper Shipper's Export Declarations (SEDs). Export information is collected electronically and edited immediately, and errors are detected and corrected at the time of filing. AES is a nationwide system operational at all ports and for all methods of transportation. It was designed to assure compliance with and enforcement of laws relating to exporting, improve trade statistics, reduce duplicate reporting to multiple agencies, and improve customer service.

The export process begins when the exporter decides to export merchandise. The exporter or the authorized agent makes shipping arrangements (booking) with the carrier. The exporter or the authorized agent transmits the commodity (SED) information using AES. This information can come directly from the exporter or the authorized agent or through a service center or port authority. AES validates the data against editing tables and U.S. Government agency requirement files and generates a confirmation message or error messages back to the filer. If the carrier is participating in the Vessel Transportation Module the carrier transmits the Receipt of Booking message when the booked cargo is received and the departure message following the actual departure of the vessel. Within ten calendar days after departure, the carrier will transmit the entire export manifest electronically using AES. AES also validates the transportation data then generates either a confirmation message or an error message. Any errors messages generated by AES must be corrected and the corrections transmitted to AES.

You are the U.S. Principal Party in Interest (USPPI) if you are a person or company in the United States that receives the primary benefit monetary or otherwise of the export transaction. The USPPI can be:
  • U.S. Seller (wholesaler/distributor) of the merchandise for export.
  • U.S. Manufacturer if selling the merchandise for export.
  • U.S. Order Party - Party who directly negotiated between the U.S. seller and
  • foreign buyer and received the order for the export of the merchandise.
  • Foreign Entity if in the U.S. when items are purchased or obtained for export.

You have three options to ensure the online filing is completed:
  1. Log on to http://www.aesdirect.gov/ and prepare an online filing and report the exemption statement on the documents submitted to Somerset Marine by the documentation cut off date shown on the booking confrmation form
  2. Contract a freight forwarder of your choice to process the online filing on your behalf and report the exemption statement on the documents submitted to Somerset Marine by the documentation cut off date shown on the booking confrmation form
  3. Request Somerset Marine to prepare the online filing on your behalf.

  1. USPPI responsibilities.
    In a routed export transaction where the foreign principal party in interest authorizes a U.S. forwarding or other agent to prepare and file the SED or AES record, the USPPI must maintain documentation to support the information provided to the forwarding or other agent for preparing the SED or AES record as specified in Sec. 30.11 and provide such forwarding or other agent with the following information to assist in preparing the SED or AES record:
    • Name and address of the U.S. principal party in interest
    • U.S. principal party in interest's, IRS, EIN
    • Point of origin (State or FTZ)
    • Schedule B description of commodities
    • Domestic (D), foreign (F), or FMS (M) code
    • Schedule B Number
    • Quantity/unit of measure
    • Value
    • Upon request from the foreign principal party in interest or its agent, the Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) or sufficient technical information to determine the ECCN; and
    • Any information that it knows will affect the determination of license authority.
    Note to above paragraph:
    For items in (ix) and (x), where the foreign principal party in interest has assumed responsibility for determining and obtaining license authority, the EAR sets forth the information sharing requirements that apply at 15 CFR 758.3(c) of the EAR.

  2. Forwarding or other agent responsibilities.
    In a routed export transaction, the forwarding or other agent is responsible for; obtaining a power of attorney or written authorization from the foreign principal party in interest to prepare and file the SED or AES record on its behalf; preparing, signing, and filing the SED or AES record based on information obtained from the USPPI or other parties involved in the transaction; maintaining documentation to support the information reported on the SED or AES record, and upon request by the USPPI, provide appropriate documentation to the USPPI verifying that the information provided by the USPPI was accurately reported on the SED or AES record. The forwarding or other agent must also provide the following export information on the SED or AES record:
    • Date of exportation;
    • Bill of lading/airway bill number;
    • Ultimate consignee;
    • Intermediate consignee;
    • Forwarding or other agent name and address;
    • Country of ultimate destination;
    • Loading pier;
    • Method of transportation;
    • Exporting carrier;
    • Port of export;
    • Port of unloading;
    • Containerized;
    • Weight;
    • ECCN;
    • License Authority;
    • Signature in the certification block on the paper SED (block 24 on Commerce Form 7525-V and block 36 on Commerce Form 7525-V-ALT). In a routed export transaction the USPPI must be listed as U.S. principal party in interest on the AES record;
    Note to above paragraph:
    For items in (xiv) and, where the foreign principal party in interest has assumed responsibility for determining and obtaining license authority, the EAR sets forth the information sharing requirements that apply at 15 CFR 758.3(c) of the EAR.
Please contact our office at tel. 908-431-7655 should you have any questions regarding the AES filing process.

Sources:
AES Direct: http://www.aesdirect.gov/
USCBP: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/export/aes/