Automated Export System (AES) Program

User Guide
AESDirect
The complete guide on how to file
Electronic Export Information (EEI) to
the Automated Export System

Table of Contents
General Information on Shipments
Special Shipments
Parties Involved in an Export Transaction
About Your AESDirect Account
AESDirect Interface
Getting Started with AESDirect
Main Menu
Create a New Shipment
Shipment Information
USPPI / Freight Forwarder
Ultimate Consignee / Intermediate Consignee
Add Commodity Line
Adding more than one commodity
Equipment Details
Send Shipment to AES
Shipment Manager
Access the Shipment Manager
Search for Shipments
Search by Date
Filter Your Search
Tabs
Show More/Show Less Shipment Details
Results per page
Sort Search Results
Magnifying Glass Preview
Shipment Status - View Detailed AES Response Messages
Manage Shipments – “I want to…”
Print Search Results
Save Frequently Used Searches
Export to a Spreadsheet File
Search for Previous Downloads
Retrieve a Shipment
Help Icon
Retrieve, Verify/Update, Print and Delete a Shipment
Retrieve a Shipment
Amend/Correct a Shipment
Print a Shipment
Delete a Shipment
Template Manager
Manage your Templates
Copy, Rename and Delete Templates
Create a New Template
Load an Existing Template
Update a Template in the Shipment Viewer
Profiles
Create USPPI Profile
Create Freight Forwarder or Consignee Profile
Editing/Search All Profiles
Deleting Profiles
Loading Profiles
AES Responses
Response E-mail
Shipment Reporting Center
View Responses
Retrieving Shipment Status
AES Proof of Filing Citations
Additional Resources
Government Websites
Contact Information

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General Information on Shipments
The Census Bureau requires mandatory filing of Electronic Export Information (EEI) to the
Automated Export System (AES) where a Shipper's Export Declaration (SED) was
previously required. You can file through AESDirect, a free filing software. Before
learning to file Electronic Export Information (EEI) using AESDirect, here is some general
information.

Sections in the EEI
Shipment Information
This section will contain general shipment information and carrier details.
Required for all EEI filings.
USPPI
This section will contain information about the USPPI, person or entity in the
United States that receives the primary benefit, monetary or otherwise, from the
export transaction. Required for all EEI filings.
Freight Forwarder
This section will contain the information about the forwarding agent authorized to
file the EEI on behalf of the USPPI. This section is conditional based on the party
filing the EEI. If your account was registered as a Forwarding Agent, you do not
need to complete this section. Your profile will be loaded automatically for new
EEI.
Ultimate Consignee
This section is to be filled out with the information regarding the receiver of the
shipment. The ultimate consignee is the person, party or designee that is located
abroad and actually receives the export shipment. This is required for all EEI
filings.
Intermediate Consignee
This section will contain information about the intermediate consignee. This section
is conditional based on how the transaction is delivered to the Ultimate Consignee.
Add Commodity Line
This section will contain the information regarding the merchandise being
exported. At least one line item is needed for each EEI transmitted to AES. This is
required for all EEI filings.

2

Special Shipments
Routed export transactions - A transaction in which the Foreign Principal Party
in Interest (FPPI) authorizes a U.S. agent to facilitate export of items from the
United States on its behalf and prepare and file the EEI.
Puerto Rico Companies – The following is required:
City – must be the Puerto Rico Municipality
State – must be Puerto Rico (PR)
Country – must be United States (U.S.)
Postal Code – must be a valid postal code in Puerto Rico
Sold en Route – If the Ultimate Consignee is unknown at the time of export
because your cargo will be sold while at sea or in the air, click the "Sold En
Route" box. If “Sold en Route” is selected, all consignee information must be
updated within 4 calendar days of exportation or as soon as the information is
known. Information should be stated as follows:
Ultimate Consignee Name: Sold En Route
Address 1: SEA
City: City of First Port of Call
Country: Country of First Port of Call
Mail - If your shipment is being exported by the United States Postal Service
(USPS), select “Mail” as the mode of transportation. The Carrier SCAC/IATA and
Conveyance Name fields should be left blank.

3

Parties Involved in an Export Transaction

Definitions of Parties in AES
U.S. Principal Party in Interest (USPPI)
The USPPI is the person or entity in the United States that receives the primary
benefit, monetary or otherwise, from the export transaction.
Foreign Principal Party in Interest (FPPI)
The party shown on the document to whom final delivery or end-use of the goods
will be made. This may be the ultimate consignee.
Ultimate Consignee
The ultimate consignee is the person, party or designee that is located abroad and
actually receives the export shipment. This may be the end-user or FPPI.
Freight Forwarder – Authorized Agent
The person in the United States who is authorized by the principal party in interest
to facilitate the movement of the cargo from the United States to the foreign
destination and/or prepare and file the required documentation.
Intermediate Consignee
The intermediate consignee is the person or entity in the foreign country that acts
as an agent for the principal party in interest with the purpose of effecting delivery
of items to the ultimate consignee.

4

About Your AESDirect Account
AESDirect has 3 different account types to facilitate maintenance for companies. Below
is an overview of all account types and the roles of each user. AESDirect has 3 different
account types to facilitate maintenance for companies. For a comprehensive list of
responsibilities, see the Account Administrator User Guide located in the Support Center
of www.aesdirect.gov.
Account Administrator Role
Inform others within company - The Account Administrator is the legal manager
of the AESDirect account. If changes need to be made to the AESDirect account,
formal communication must be established with AESDirect Technical Support.
Only the registered Account Administrator is authorized to sign paper documents
and request account changes.
Create and manage User Managers - The Account Administrator creates a
username for each filer in the company. Two of these accounts can be designated as
User Managers to help manage user accounts created for the company, known as
User Managers.
User Manager Role
The role of a User Manager is also very similar to that of the Account Administrator. A
User Manager can create new AESDirect user accounts and manage company
access to AESPcLink. If necessary, they can also assist in resetting passwords for
users in the company.
Unlike Account Administrators, User Managers cannot act legally on behalf of the
account when contacting AESDirect Technical Support or make any changes to the
Account Profile.
The Account Administrator and other User Managers can enable User Manager
rights for any existing User in the company account. However, the number of
User Managers is limited to 2.

User Role
Users hold the most fundamental role in AESDirect. They are responsible for the dayto-day filing of EEI. Some Users can be limited to just viewing historical filing data.
All Users, including User Managers and Account Administrators may reset
forgotten or expired passwords by clicking the “Forgot your password?” link on
the Login Screen. Please note that any locked out or disabled account must
contact their Account Administrator for further access.

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AESDirect Interface
Scroll to the bottom of each page to fill out all required fields.
To enter your information, use the white navigation box in
the upper left hand corner.
To edit sections, highlight the section needed and click
“Edit Section”
To return to the “Shipment Viewer”, click “View EEI”.
To Delete a section, Click “Clear Section”.
AESDirect cannot temporarily save the EEI to continue working with it before
submitting the data. Closing the browser session or clicking on the “back” icon
before submission will delete entries.
Colors and Symbols
AESDirect uses the following color-code and symbol system for data entry fields:
A RED ‘diamond’ indicates a mandatory field (Required)
A BLUE ‘square’ indicates a conditional field (May be required)
A BLACK ‘circle’ indicates an optional field (Not required)
Help
Help is available in each section. Click
the “Help” link in the upper right corner
to:
Determine what is needed for
each field
Determine when the fields are required

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Lookup
A “Lookup” menu is available to help filers search for codes required in some
fields. Fields that require a code are marked with an “(L)” next to it. To use the
search:
1. Click on the Lookup icon next to the respective field to pull up the lookup
window.
2. Enter at least 3 characters of the name of the desired code; click Search.
3. Highlight the desired item and click “Add to Form”. The code for that item
will be added to the EEI form and the lookup window will close.
Example:
1. In the Port of Export field, click on the “Lookup” icon located next to it.
2. Enter “MIA” to bring up the list of port names with “MIA” in the description.
Click on the “Search” button.
3. Click on the Drop down arrow to find the listings that contain “MIA”. Find the
Port of Export needed, highlight and click “Add to Form”.

Click on the Lookup Icon or
type “?” and hit the “Tab” key
to use the lookup for the code

Type “MIA” and click Search

Select the appropriate Port of
Export. Click “Add to Form”

The code will be automatically be added to the EEI form and the lookup window will close.

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Getting Started with AESDirect
1. Go to www.aesdirect.gov. There are two ways to log in:
On the left hand column, under
“Log In”, click “AESDirect”.

or

Look under “Already Registered?” in
the center of the page, click “Log In”.

2. Enter Username and Password; click “Continue” to enter AESDirect.
3. The next screen will indicate when the password is set to expire, and the Account
Administrator and User Managers listed for the company’s Account. Click
“Continue” to go to the “Main Menu”.

AESDirect Homepage

AESDirect Login Screen

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Main Menu
All functions for AESDirect accounts are located on the Main Menu.

Account Summary
An Account Summary is located on the
left side of the Main Menu. This provides
detail regarding a company’s account as
registered in AESDirect, including a
password expiration counter, the
company’s name, filer ID, Account
Administrator and User Managers.
Shipments
All AESDirect functions are located in this
section. Options to create, retrieve,
delete shipments or view shipment
responses are available.
Profiles
Creating profiles saves time by storing
information pertaining to frequent
USPPIs, Freight Forwarders and Ultimate
Consignees. Their information can be
stored under each account and be
loaded them directly for different EEI.
See “Profiles” section for more details.
AESDirect Main Menu

Templates
The Template Manager enables users to search, create, update, copy, and delete
templates. It has the capacity to store up to 100 templates company-wide and allow for
the sharing of templates between all users registered under the same EIN. See
“Template Manager” section.
AESDirect Archive Service
AESDirect Accounts provide a free retention service of up to 5 years of EEI. Shipments
a year or older can be accessed through this database. The same process as “Retrieve
an Existing Shipment” should be followed.

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Create a New Shipment
On the Main Menu, under “Shipments,” click “Create New Shipment”

Shipment Information
Filling in the Fields
Highlight “Shipment Information” in the white navigation box,
click “Edit Section”.
Complete each field as required.
E-mail Response Address – This will be the address
to which the AES Response will be sent. More than
one e-mail address can be added if separated by commas. At least 1 e-mail
address is required for all EEI filings.
Shipment Reference Number (SRN) – This is a unique 17 alphanumeric
identification number for each shipment. Filers create an SRN to identify each
EEI filed. Once the filer has assigned an SRN, the number cannot be re-used for
future shipments. Doing so will generate a Fatal Error.
It is good practice to establish a unique format in your company to create SRNs
and maintain a log of all SRNs used to prevent re-using and for easy retrieval.
Required for all EEI filings.
Transportation Reference Number - This is the reservation number, or booking
number, assigned by the ocean carrier to hold space on the vessel for the cargo.
Conditional field: only required for vessel shipments.
Origin State- Indicate the State in which the goods begin their journey to the port
of export. Required for all EEI filings.
If a shipment is composed of merchandise from more than one warehouse located in
different states, provide the state with the commodity of greatest value; or the state
where merchandise is consolidated.

Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ)- Provide the 1 to 5 alphanumeric code assigned by
the Foreign Trade Zone Board to either an FTZ or sub zone from which goods
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are withdrawn for export. Conditional field; if goods are removed from the FTZ
and not entered for consumption. Foreign Trade Zones are specially licensed
commercial and industrial areas or areas near ports of entry where foreign and
domestic goods may be brought in without being subject to payment of Customs
duties.
Port of Export – The port of export is the seaport or airport where the goods are
loaded on the exporting carrier that is taking the goods out of the United States,
or the port where exports by overland transportation cross the U.S. border into a
foreign country. Required for all EEI filings.
For Mail shipments, report 8000.

Country of Destination- Report the country where the goods are to be
consumed, further processed, stored or manufactured as known to the USPPI at
the time of export. Required for all EEI filings.
Port of Unlading – This is first port where the goods will be removed from the
exporting carrier. Conditional field; only required for all vessel shipments and air
shipments between the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
Departure Date- Report the date of export out of the U.S. Required for all EEI
filings.
Mode of Transport- Report the method by which the goods are exported from
the U.S. Required for all EEI filings.
For shipments crossing through Canada or Mexico to another destination report the mode
of transportation when the goods are loaded on the carrier that is taking the goods out of the
United States.

Carrier SCAC/IATA – Carrier Code that identifies the transportation company.
Conditional field; only required for Air, Vessel, Rail, and Truck shipments. Mail
shipments do not require this information.
Remember you can
use the Lookup
feature for any field
marked with an “L”
next to the field.

If the SCAC/IATA code for your carrier is not retrieved in
the search, load the complete SCAC and IATA code
tables. A link displayed on the webpage will redirect you to
the Code Tables. Once there, locate the code by using
the "Find" feature on your browser. In most cases, this is:
“Control F”.

Conveyance Name – Provide the vessel name for ocean shipments and the
carrier name for all other modes of transportation. Conditional field; only required
for Vessel, Air, Rail, and Truck shipments.
You may not report UNKNOWN as the Conveyance Name.

Inbond Type – Inbond shipments that involve a warehouse or foreign trade zone
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may be filed in AES for informational purposes only. Conditional field; Inbond
shipments are NOT required to be filed in AES per FTR 30.37(e).
Import Entry Number –If an Inbond type is specified, report import entry
number. Conditional field.
Is this shipment a Routed Transaction?
A shipment is considered “Routed” when the foreign principal party in interest
(FPPI) authorizes a U.S. Freight Forwarder or U.S. agent to facilitate the export
of items, prepare and filed the EEI on its behalf. Required for all EEI filings.
Are the USPPI and Ultimate Consignee related companies?
Companies are considered related when either party, the USPPI and Ultimate
Consignee, owns directly or indirectly 10 percent or more of the other party.
Required for all EEI filings.
Is any commodity on this shipment hazardous?
Specify if hazardous merchandise (as defined by the Department of
Transportation) is being exported. Required for all EEI filings.

Shipment Information Section

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USPPI / Freight Forwarder
Highlight “USPPI” or “Freight Forwarder” in the white
navigation box, click “Edit Section”.
Complete each field as required. The same information is
required for the Freight Forwarder.

Filling in the Fields
Company Information- Indicate the company’s name and identification number.
Required in USSPI and Freight Forwarder sections for all EEI filings.
USPPI ID – The AES allows for Employer Identification Number (EIN) or
Foreign Entity ID Types (ex: passport number). If using a foreign passport
number, backfill with zeroes to reach 11 digits.
Freight Forwarder ID – AES allows for EIN, or Dun and Bradstreet
Number (DUNS)
Contact Information- Provide the first and last name of the USPPI contact
person. Required for all EEI filings. Names must have at least two letters and
cannot contain special characters such as accents or punctuation.
Cargo Origin- Indicate the address (no post office box number) of the USPPI
from which the merchandise actually began its journey to the port of export. For
example, the EEI covering goods laden aboard a truck at a warehouse in
Georgia for transport to Florida for loading onto a vessel for export to a foreign
country shall show the address of the warehouse in Georgia. Required for all EEI
filings. For shipments of multiple origins, report the address from which the commodity
with the greatest value begins its export journey. If such information is not known, report
the address in state in which the commodities are consolidated for export.

USPPI Section

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Ultimate Consignee / Intermediate Consignee
Highlight “Ultimate Consignee”. Click “Edit Section”.
Complete each field as required. The same information will
be required for the “Intermediate Consignee”.

Filling in the Fields
Company Information- Provide the company’s
name. Required for all EEI filings. If you select “Sold
en Route”, all consignee information must be updated within 4 calendar days
from the departure date.
Contact Information- If you provide a first and last name, do not include any
special characters. The phone number must be provided in the correct format
(NNNNNNNNNN). Optional section.
Company Address- Fields in the address section may be required or conditional
based on destination of shipment.
Address- Provide the Company’s address including street, city and
country. Required for all EEI filings.
State- Report appropriate state. Conditional field. Only required for U.S.
and Mexican consignees.
Postal Code – Conditional field. A Postal Code is only required for
shipments between the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Ultimate Consignee Section

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Add a Commodity Line
Highlight “Add Commodity Line”. Click “Edit Section”.
Complete each field as required.

Filling in the Fields
Schedule B or HTS Number – Both Schedule B and HTS
commodity classification codes can be reported in
AESDirect. Some HTS Numbers are not valid for Export
(see “Invalid HTS” link or access the AESDirect Codes in
the Support Center section of www.aesdirect.gov). Provide the full 10 digits without
periods. If you do not have your Schedule B number, use the lookup function to
locate. Conditional field. Not required if Export Code HH (Personal and household
effects and tools of the trade) is selected.
Commodity Description- Provide an appropriate commercial description for the
commodity. Required for all EEI filings.
Marks and Numbers- Fill for record-keeping purposes only. This is an optional field.
1st and 2nd Quantity- Report the total quantity of the commodity being exported per
commodity code classification. Report in the unit of measure as required by the
system. Conditional field. Not required if Export Code HH (Personal and household
effects and tools of the trade) is selected.
Exporters must comply with specific quantities issued by governmental agencies.
Unit for 1st and 2nd Quantity- The Unit of Measure is determined by the Schedule B
or HTS number entered. When a valid Schedule B or Harmonized Tariff number is
entered, the unit of measure required will automatically populate. Do not change the
Unit(s) of Measure. Conditional field. Not required if Export Code HH (Personal and
household effects and tools of the trade) is selected.
To determine the correct Unit(s) of Measure, link to the Census Foreign Trade
Division website for Schedule B or the International Trade Commission
Website for HTS.
Value- Report the value of the goods at the U.S. port of export. The value shall be
the selling price of the goods including inland or domestic freight, insurance, and
other charges to the U.S. For more details, see Foreign Trade Regulations FTR 30.6
(a)(17). Required for all EEI filings.
Gross Weight- The shipping weight must be reported in kilograms. Include the
weight of the commodity and weight of normal packaging. Required for all EEI
filings. For more details, see Foreign Trade Regulations FTR 30.6(a)(16).
You must use whole numbers for the Quantity, Value and Weight
fields. Do not use symbols.
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Export Code- Select the code that identifies the
type or condition of the export transaction being
made. Required for all EEI filings.
Origin of Goods- Select “domestic” for
commodities grown, produced or manufactured
in the U.S., including goods with foreign
components assembled as a new good in the
U.S. Select “foreign” for goods grown, produced
or manufactured in foreign countries and upon
Export Code drop down Menu
entering the U.S. have not undergone any
d
change in form or condition. If the commodity classification number is the same, but
the origins vary, report foreign goods separately from domestic goods. Conditional
field. Not required if Export Code HH (Personal and household effects and tools of
the trade) is selected.
License Type- Select the appropriate license type for the commodity. Required for
all EEI filings. The license type will determine which fields need to be reported.
Export License Number- This would be the
license number, permit number or authorization
number assigned by the agency issuing the
export license. Conditional field. Only required for
shipments requiring an export license.
ECCN- This number is used to identify items
on the Commerce Control List (CCL).
Conditional field; based on merchandise exported.
A complete listing of license codes and descriptions for
the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Foreign
Assets Control (OFAC), Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, U.S. Department of State and other
License Type drop down menu
Partnership Agency licenses, can be found under
Appendix F of the AES Trade Interface Requirements
(AESTIR).
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/automated/aes/tech_docs/aestir/
Is this commodity a Used Vehicle? - Any selfpropelled vehicle that has been purchased and then resold (even if the vehicle is only days old) is considered a
used vehicle. Required for all EEI filings.
Vehicle Information- Used vehicle exports require vehicle information to be filled in
the EEI. Conditional fields. Only complete if you selected ‘yes” to previous question.
A separate commodity line is needed for each used vehicle reported.

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Adding more than one commodity
Separate commodity lines will distinguish merchandise valued
over $2500 or requiring an export license per commodity
classification code.
After entering all the required fields for the first commodity;
highlight “Add Commodity Line”; click “Edit Section”. This will
save your first line item and open a new commodity screen.
Complete each field as required.
The website allows up to 99 commodity lines per EEI. Any export shipments with more
than 99 line items must be filed in more than one shipment.

Equipment Details
This is an optional section. If a Seal Number is submitted, a
corresponding Equipment Number must also be submitted.

Highlight “Equipment Details”. Click “Edit Section”.

Equipment Details Section

17

Send Shipment to AES
Make sure all pop-up blockers are turned off to submit EEI to AES.
If pop-blockers are not disabled, the shipment will not be properly transmitted.
When a shipment is complete, it must be sent to AES for processing. A valid Internal
Transaction Number (ITN) must be received prior to exporting. Provide this confirmation on
your loading documents. See “AES Proof of Filing Citations” section for more details.

1. Once all required sections are complete, click “View EEI” on the left side of the
screen.
2. In the “Shipment Viewer” Screen, verify that all section bars located at the top of
the screen appear in GREEN. If YELLOW, the section is missing some required
information. If RED, the section is required but has not been started yet.
3. Click “Submit EEI” on the left side of the screen.
4. Verify the USPPI address. If correct, click “OK”.
5. Acknowledge that you will not submit a paper copy of the EEI to U.S. Customs
and Border Protection (CBP), click “OK”. If any information does not pass the
AESDirect edits, an error message will appear prior to sending your shipment to
AES. Correct any errors and restart the Send Shipment procedure.
6. When a shipment is submitted successfully, a pop-up message will indicate that
the shipment has been transmitted to CBP for processing. If this message is not
received, the shipment has not been submitted. Verify pop-up blocker settings.

18

Shipment Manager
What you can do with the Shipment Manager!
Search for Shipments

Save frequently used searches

Export to a spreadsheet

View detailed AES response messages

Sort search results

Filter your search

Preview shipment details

Retrieve, Delete, Print and Save as Template

Access the Shipment Manager
Manage your filings, improve your export filing
compliance and learn how to make the most
of your AESDirect account!
To access the Shipment Manager, click on the
“Shipment Manager” link from the Main Menu.
Once there, the screen below will appear.

Main Menu

Shipment Manager Home

Search for Shipments
Searching for your company’s shipments can be done for the past five years of EEI
transmitted. You can only search for a three-month period at once. You can search for
shipments by entering the AES ITN or by entering the Shipment Reference Number.
You also have the option to display all EEI that was either filed or edited during that
day, the day before, or within the past 7 days of the current date. This is the same for
searches by the date of export.

Search Function

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Search by Date
If you prefer to search by specific criteria such as License Type, Username, Carrier
SCAC/IATA, etc.), you must enter a timeframe to search by. Searches can be done by
date of export for the shipment or by the date the shipment was filed.

Date of export
or

Date of filing
Once you click Search, the output will generate the list of shipments that match the date
range entered. There, you can preview details of the shipments before retrieving. You
will see an example of that in pg. 22. If your search generates too many results, it may
be easier to filter your search.

Filter your Search
1) Select the Search criteria you are looking for. You can select more than one filter
criteria by selecting another search criteria and selecting “Add to Filter”. You can
unselect a field by using the checkboxes on the top of your search.

Search Function

2) If you want to remove all the filters, maintaining the dates already selected, use the
“Clear All Filters” icon.
3) To look for a shipment, select what you wish to search by
from the "Search for Shipments by" drop down menu. You
can search by single criteria or you can filter your search
to be more specific if you have more than one criteria
shown to the right.

Filter search by

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Tabs
Once the search output has been generated, you can organize your results. You are able to
filter EEI based on the current AES Status for each EEI. The status can be organized by: All
Shipments; Accepted shipments; Shipments with Compliance Alerts, Verify Alerts, Warning
Messages, or Informational messages; Rejected or Update Rejected Shipments; Cancelled
Shipments, Cancelled Submitted or Rejected; Submitted Shipments (but not yet processed by
AES); Update Submitted, and Cancel Submitted.
To do so, click on the tab for the shipments you would like to view.

Tabs in Search Results

Show More/Show Less Shipment Details
By default, the Shipment Manager will provide search results with the Shipment
Reference Number, Status of the Shipment, the
AES ITN, the Date of Filing and the Date of
Export. If you want to see more details, click on
the “Show More Shipment Details” link.
By clicking on the “Show More Shipment Details” link, you will be able to preview other
details of your shipment without having to retrieve the shipment. The additional details
shown by enabling “More details” are: USPPI Name, USPPI ID, Consignee Name and
Country of Destination.
If you want to return to the default output of the
Search Results, you can click on the “Show Less
Shipment Details” link.

Results per Page
By default the Shipment Manager will generate search
results showing 10 EEI records per page. If you want to
see more EEI in each page, select the amount of records
from the “records per page” dropdown menu.

Sort Search Results
You can sort the output by any of the columns with a triangle next
to it. To identify how the output is being sorted, the column that is
sorted will highlight the triangle in orange.

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Magnifying Glass Preview
The search results will display a broad summary for each of the returned EEI. If this summary is
not enough to identify your shipment, you can display additional shipment details in your screen.
Simply expand the output with the Magnifying Glass icon found next to the Shipment Reference
Number.
The following additional details will be provided:
Port of Export
Port of Unlading
USPPI Address

Consignee Address
Username that created shipment
Username that updated shipment

Additional Details
Preview

You can close the additional details preview by clicking on the red “X” found next to the
“Additional Details” title bar.

Shipment Status - View Detailed AES Response Messages
1) Click on Status box that states the current AES status of the EEI to display the detailed
AES response message.

AES Responses

22

2) Click on each narrative to find out what caused the message and how to correct it (if
necessary).

Detail in AES Responses

Manage Shipments – “I want to…”
After you conduct your search, it's easy to manage your shipments. A convenient drop
down menu that says: "I want to..." will be available on the far left side of the search
results. It will allow you to retrieve, delete, print or even save a selected shipment as a
template.

“I want to…” Menu

The menu is available for each shipment. Shipments that show a current shipment status
of “Rejected” cannot be deleted.

Print Search Results
To print a summary of the search results seen on screen, use the
Print icon located on the right part of your screen, just above the
search results.
This will format your search results into a printable document for your records.

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Example of Print Page

Save Frequently Used Searches
You can save the type of search queries you conduct the most. For example, if weekly
you search for all the shipments filed by a particular person within you company, you can
save this “frequent search query”. Search for the week and filter by username. After the
search results are generated, use the "Save Search" icon for the program to save up to 5
favorite searches for future visits. You will be able to save frequent searches within your
username to eliminate rekeying of frequently used search criteria.
1) Click on the “Save Search” Icon on the top
right of your screen.

2) Just give the search template a name that helps
you identify it.
3) Next time you want to search for a shipment,
simply select the search you want to use.

To delete a “Saved Search”, click on the red “X” next to the Saved search name.

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Export to a Spreadsheet File
You can export search outputs into a spreadsheet format. This serves as a tool to assist
your company achieve full compliance. All the criteria displayed on your screen will be
exported to the spreadsheet.
1) Click on the “Download” Icon on your screen. Enter a name for the current report.
You will later use this name to track past reports.

Exporting a Report to Spreadsheet

2) You will receive a pop-up indicating the report is being processed. A second popup will indicate your report is ready for download.

3) A third pop up will ask you if you wish to open or save the report.

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4) Open file in your preferred csv. format. See next an example of the file opened
with Microsoft Excel 2007.

Example of Spreadsheet

Search for Previous Downloads
If you had previously created a report and want to refer back to it, you can. The
Shipment Manager allows you to search for past reports.

Retrieve a Shipment
Previously filed shipments can be retrieved by entering the Shipment Reference Number
(SRN) and the USPPI ID or, if the EEI was accepted, by entering the Internal Transaction
Number (ITN). You will be taken into the “Shipment Viewer” from your account once the
shipment is retrieved.
1) From the “Retrieve a Shipment” tab, you have the option of retrieving by ITN or by
entering the Shipment Reference Number and the USPPI ID number.
2) After entering the SRN/USPPI ID or ITN, click “OK”.

Retrieve a Shipment from the Shipment Manager

26

Help Icon
If you forget what some of the features are for the Shipment Manager, simply click on the
Question Mark icon found throughout the application. This will give you hints on what
each function is about.

Retrieve, Amend/Correct, Print, and Delete a Shipment
Previously filed shipments can be retrieved by entering the Shipment Reference Number
(SRN) and the USPPI ID or, if the EEI was accepted, by entering the Internal Transaction
Number (ITN). Once the shipment is retrieved, the options of verifying, printing or using
the shipment as a template become available.

Retrieve a Shipment
1. From the Main Menu under the “Shipments” section, click “Retrieve Existing
Shipment”.
2. Click “Retrieve Shipments” tab to retrieve by SRN/USPPI ID or “Retrieve
Shipments by ITN” tab to retrieve the shipment by ITN.
3. After entering the SRN/USPPI ID or ITN, click “Retrieve Shipment”.

Shipment Reporting Center Screen

Shipment has been retrieved

Amend/Correct a Shipment
Information pertinent to an EEI may change during export process. When information
regarding an export transaction changes, it must be updated in the EEI. AESDirect
provides the option of replacing existing shipments with new information without changing
the ITN that was originally received.

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1. From the Main Menu, under the “Shipments” section, select “Retrieve Existing
Shipment”.
2. If updates are needed, click “Amend/Correct This EEI”.
a. Highlight the section that needs correction, click “Edit Section”.
b. Make the corrections, click “View EEI”.
c. Click “Submit EEI” to send to AES for processing.
After making necessary changes, make sure to re-submit the shipment under the same Shipment
Reference Number as the original shipment. Your ITN will stay the same.

You will receive a warning if
the shipment you are
submitting already exists. If
your intent is to replace the
shipment select “OK”.

Another confirmation message
will appear to ensure that you
would like to correct
information to the existing
shipment.

Print a Shipment
1. Retrieve Existing Shipment (see “Retrieve a Shipment” instructions)
2. Click “Print EEI” to Print Shipment.
Only print the shipment for your records. Do not to submit a paper copy to U.S.
Customs and Border Protection, as it would be a violation to the Foreign Trade
Regulations.

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Delete a Shipment
1. From the Main Menu, under “Shipments” section, click “Delete Shipment from
AES”
2. Enter USPPI ID Number and Shipment Reference Number
3. Click “Continue”. This will send a message to delete the shipment from AES.
Do not delete twice; this action will generate a Fatal Error.

Process Flow of Deleting a Shipment

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Template Manager
Templates of recurring shipments may be created in AESDirect. This feature will save
time for frequent shipments from the same USPPI to the same Ultimate Consignee. All
fields will be saved except: Shipment Reference Number, Transportation Reference
st
nd
Number, Origin State, Departure Date, 1 and 2 Quantity, Value, and Gross Weight.
There is also an option of creating templates from previously submitted shipments (see
Retrieve a Shipment section). All users have access to templates associated with their
company’s account. As many as 100 templates can be stored per account.
To access the Template Manager, click “Manage Templates from the AESDirect Main
Menu. All 100 templates are stored and displayed here.
Templates may be sorted by
clicking on the triangle beside the
desired sort field according to:
Name
Description
USPPI Name
USPPI ID
Consignee
Date created
Date updated

Templates can also be searched
for by a variety of criteria, including:
Name
Description
USPPI Name
USPPI ID
Consignee Name

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Manage Your Templates: Copy, Rename and Delete

Template Manager

The Template Manager has the capacity to show a preview of the information stored on
each template before loading. To use this feature,
click on the [+] beside the template name. The
“Copy”, “Rename” and “Delete” functions will be
displayed.

Copy:
1. To copy a template, click on the “Duplicate
paper” icon under the template name.
2. Enter a New Template Name and a New
Description. Click “Ok”.
The New Template will automatically load to
the Template Manager.
Rename:
1. To rename a template, click on the icon with “A
document being updated into a B
document” under the template name.
2. Enter a new Template Name and a New
Description. Click “Ok”
3. The renamed template will automatically load
to the Template Manager.
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Delete:
1. To delete a template, click on the [+] sign
underneath the Template Name.
2. Click on the “X” under the Template
Name.
3. A message will be prompted before
deleting the selected template. To
delete, click, “Ok”.

Create a New Template
Complete an EEI. Once all desired sections are complete, click “View EEI” on the left side
of the screen.
1. In the “Shipment Viewer” screen, click “Save as a Template”.
2. Enter a name and description for the template. Use only alphanumeric characters;
no spaces are allowed in the template name.
3. Click “Save”. A skeleton of the shipment will be saved.

Process Flow of Saving a Shipment

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Load an Existing Template
1. In the “Shipment Viewer” screen, click “Load
Template”
2. Locate desired template
3. Click the template name to load the template. The
“Shipment Viewer” screen indicates the name of the
template loaded.
4. Complete the empty fields prior to submitting EEI.

Update a Template in the Shipment Viewer
1.
2.
3.
4.

Load an existing template as instructed above.
Make any desired changes to the template.
Click “View EEI”. Once in the “Shipment Viewer” screen, click “Update Template”.
A message will be prompted to confirm the Template update. Click “Update”.

33

Profiles

AESDirect provides the benefit of creating profiles of recurring companies for your export
transactions. This feature saves time of re entering company information for frequent USPPI,
Freight Forwarder and/or Ultimate Consignee profiles.

Main Menu

Create USPPI Profile
1. On the AESDirect Main Menu, under “Profiles”, click “USPPI Profile
Maintenance”.
2. Click “Add New USPPI” in the lower right corner.
3. Enter the required information. Click “Save USPPI”.
4. To add the USPPI address, click “View Cargo Origins”.
5. Click “Add New Cargo Origin”.
6. Enter the Cargo Origin. Click “Save Cargo Origin”.
Once the Cargo Origin has been saved, you will be brought back to Step 5. Add
more cargo origins if needed for the specified USPPI.
To return to the Main Menu, click the link in the upper right corner.
To add another new USPPI, click the “Add New USPPI” button in the lower right corner in
the USPPI Profile Maintenance screen.

Process Flow of Creating a USPPI Profile

34

Create Freight Forwarder or Consignee Profile
The process below applies for both Freight Forwarder and Consignee Profiles.

1. On the AESDirect Main Menu, under
“Profiles”, click “Forwarder Profile
Maintenance” or “Consignee Profile
Maintenance”.
2. Click “Add New Consignee” or “Add
New Forwarder” in the lower right
corner.
3. Enter the required information; click
“Save Consignee” or “Save
Forwarder”.
4. To return to the Main Menu, click the
link in the upper right corner.
5. To add a new forwarder or consignee, click
the “Add New Forwarder” or “Add New
Consignee” button in the lower right corner.

Elements needed to create
Freight Forwarder and
Ultimate Consignee Profiles

Editing/Searching All Profiles
1. On the AESDirect Main Menu, under “Profiles”, click “USPPI Profile
Maintenance”, “Forwarder Profile Maintenance” or “Consignee Profile
Maintenance”.
2. On the lower left corner of the screen, enter the name of profile you wish to edit
and click “Search”.
3. From the results, locate the profile to change. Click on the “Edit” link next to that
profile.
4. Make appropriate changes and click “Save”.

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Deleting Profiles
1. On the AESDirect Main Menu, under “Profiles”, click “USPPI Profile
Maintenance”, “Forwarder Profile Maintenance” or “Consignee Profile
Maintenance”.
2. On the lower left corner of the screen,
enter the name of profile you wish to
delete and click “Search’’.
3. In the results, locate the profile you want
to delete. Click on the “Delete” link next to the profile. A message will prompt you
to confirm the deletion of the profile. Click “Ok”.

Loading Profiles
1. From the appropriate section in the EEI, click “Select from Profiles”. Enter at least
3 characters from the profile Name or ID Number. Click “Search”.
2. Click “Select” next to the Company profile desired. Choose the appropriate
address for your USPPI, click “Select”
3. Review the profile; click “Add to Form”.

Process Flow to Load Profiles

36

AES Responses
Once shipments are processed by the Automated Export System (AES), a response
message is generated. It will indicate the status of the shipment. These responses can
be viewed from two different locations: Response E-mail and the Shipment Reporting
Center within AESDirect.

Response E-mail
E-mail messages will be sent to the address listed in the Shipment Information section.
Messages will indicate if the shipment has been Accepted (1), Replaced (2), Rejected (3),
or Deleted (4). Do not depend solely on the e-mail responses to retrieve ITN. Always
verify the Shipment Reporting Center for all response messages from AES.

1

3

2

4

Shipment Reporting Center
1. On the Main Menu under “Shipments,” click “Shipment Reporting Center”. A
black screen will appear.
2. There are 3 options currently available (see lower left corner of screenshot):
View Responses
Retrieve Shipments
Retrieve Shipments by ITN

37

View Responses
The tab to “View Responses” allows for AES generated responses to be retrieved for
shipments sent to AES.
1. From the Shipment Reporting Center, click “View Responses” in the lower left
hand corner.
2. Enter the USPPI ID
number and Shipment
Reference Number.
3. Click “Get Responses”.
4. The AES Responses messages will appear in a pop-up window.

AES Response Window

Retrieving Shipment Status
Once a shipment is submitted, its status may be verified by retrieving the shipment (see
Retrieve a Shipment). A response will indicate if your shipment has been accepted,
rejected, or canceled. The shipments below show examples of different AES Responses.

Example of an accepted shipment.
The ITN should be placed on
loading documents.

Example of a cancelled shipment.
It is retrievable in AESDirect but
the ITN and shipment are not
active in the AES mainframe.

Example of a rejected shipment.
This occurs when an existing
shipment with an ITN receives a
Fatal Error after an update has
been made. Shipment must be
corrected and resubmitted.

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AES Proof of Filing Citations
The ITN (Internal Transaction Number) is a confirmation number that serves as proof that
a shipment has been accepted by AES. This number is unique for every shipment and
must be provided to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the port of export.
Once an ITN is assigned to the shipment, the shipment is ready for export. The exporter
must cite the ITN on the first page of the bill of lading, air waybill, and/or other
commercial loading documents.
Note: The XTN (Filer ID – Shipment Reference Number) is NOT accepted as an AES Proof of Filing
Citation.

Predeparture Citations
AES ITN
o Example: AES X20091101000001

Postdeparture Citations
If Authorized Agent files on behalf of the approved USPPI
o AESPOST USPPI ID FILER ID Date of Export
o Example: AESPOST 12345678900 987654321 11/01/2009
If USPPI files EEI directly to AES
o AESPOST USPPI ID – Date of Export
o Example: AESPOST 23456789000 11/01/2009

39

Additional Resources
On the AESDirect Homepage, under the “Related Sites” section, you can find useful links
to Government Sites and Partner Agency Websites.

Government Websites
Census Bureau – Foreign Trade Division (FTD)
http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/
Provides information on Foreign Trade Statistics, Regulations, reference materials, and
extensive details on AES.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/automated/aes
Provides access to the Customs Export section, including information on:
o AES
o Blocked, denied and debarred persons lists
o Export documents, licenses and requirements
Department of Commerce – Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)
http://www.bis.doc.gov
Provides information on export control basics, export administration policies and
regulations, compliance and enforcement, seminars and training, and links to
Export Administration Regulations (EAR), including the Commerce Control List
(CCL).
Department of the Treasury – Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)
http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac
Provides access to specially designated nationals (SDN), blocked persons lists, sanction
programs and country summaries.
Department of State – Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC)
http://pmddtc.state.gov/
Provides information for registering with the DDTC and applying for a license to ship
items on the U. S. Munitions List (USML). Includes a link to the International
Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
Export.gov – U.S. Commercial Service, International Trade Administration
(ITA)
http://trade.gov/cs/
http://export.gov
Provides access to all export-related assistance and market information offered by the
federal government.

40

CONTACT US
Technical Support

Toll Free: 877-715-4433
Alternative: 301-562-7790
E-mail: [email protected]

Call Tech Support for issues with:
Username and Password
AESDirect connection
AESPcLink connection

Live Support:
M - F: 7 AM - 7 PM, ET
Sat: 9 AM - 3 PM, ET
Call Back Support:
Sat: 7 AM to 9 AM & 3 PM - 7 PM, ET
Sun: 7 AM - 7 PM, ET
Emergency Support:
Monday through Sunday, 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM, ET

U.S. Census Bureau
Automated Export System (AES)

Commodity Classifications

Toll Free: 800-549-0595- Option 1
Hours: M – F: 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM, EST
E-mail: [email protected]

Toll Free: 800-549-0595- Option 2
Hours: M – F: 8 AM - 5:30 PM, EST
E-mail: [email protected]

AES Filing Problems
AES Fatal Errors
AES Monthly Reports
AESPcLink Workshops
Filing Post-Departure

Schedule B Classification Assistance
Commodity related reporting issues
Parameter Change Requests

Regulations on Filing Export Data

Trade Data

Toll Free: 800-549-0595- Option 3
Hours: M – F: 7:30 AM - 6:30 PM, EST
E-mail: [email protected]

Toll Free: 800-549-0595- Option 4
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8 AM - 5:30 PM, EST
E-mail: [email protected]

Clarifying Regulations
Responsibilities of the Parties in Export Transactions
Regulation Seminars

Questions about U.S. International Trade
Statistics
Help with USA Trade Online
Trade Data Products and Subscriptions

Licensing Issues
United States Munitions List (USML) & Commerce Control List (CCL)
U.S. Department of State Licenses

Bureau of Industry and Security

Directorate of Defense Trade Controls:
202-663-2700

Washington, DC: 202-482-4811
Western Regional Office: 949-660-0144

Assistance in Exporting Worldwide - U.S. Commercial Service: 1-800-USA-TRADE
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average approximately 3 minutes (.05 hour) per transaction
for the Automated Export System, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and
maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden
estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to Paperwork Project
0607-0152, U.S. Census Bureau, 4600 Silver Hill Road, Room 3K138, Washington, DC 20233. You may e-mail comments to
[email protected]; use "Paperwork Project 0607-0152" as the subject. No agency may conduct and no person may be required
to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval number. The
OMB approval number for this information collection is 0607-0152.

41