Automated Export System (AES) Program

Attachment E

AESDirect
User Guide

The complete guide to filing Electronic
Export Information in the Automated
Commercial Environment (ACE) AESDirect
Last updated June 06, 2022

1

About the Automated Export System (AES) and the Data
The AES is the primary instrument used for collecting export trade data, which are used by the Census
Bureau for statistical purposes. The AES record provides the means for collecting data on U.S. exports.
Public Law 107-228 of the Foreign Trade Relations Act of 2003 authorizes this collection. Title 13, U.S.C.,
Chapter 9, Sections 301-307, mandates the collection of these data. The data collected in the AES is
confidential under Section 301(g), which prohibits public disclosure of export data collected by the
Census Bureau unless the Secretary of Commerce determines that such exemption would be contrary to
the national interest. The regulatory provisions detailing the mandatory reporting of these data are
contained in the Foreign Trade Regulations (FTR), Title 15, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 30.
The official export statistics collected from these tools provide the basic component for the compilation
of the U.S. position on merchandise trade. These data are an essential component of the monthly totals
provided in the U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services (FT900) press release, a principal
economic indicator and a primary component of the Gross Domestic Product.
In addition to developing the FT900, other federal agencies have used the data for export control
purposes to detect and prevent the export of certain items by unauthorized parties or to unauthorized
destinations or end users.

Burden Estimate
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:
ECON Survey Comments 0607-0152, U.S. Census Bureau, 4600 Silver Hill Road,
Washington, DC 20233. You may e-mail comments to [email protected]. Be sure to
use ECON Survey Comments 0607-0152 as the subject. This collection has been approved by the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB). The eight-digit OMB approval number is 0607-0152. Without this
approval we could not conduct this survey.

2

Table of Contents
General Information on Shipments ........................................................................................................................4
Parties Involved in an Export Transaction ...........................................................................................................6
Getting Started with AESDirect ...............................................................................................................................6
Log in to Account ...............................................................................................................................................7
Accessing ACE AESDirect..................................................................................................................................7
Shipment Manager .................................................................................................................................................... 9
Create Export Filing ................................................................................................................................................ 10
Step 1: Shipment ...................................................................................................................................................... 10
Step 2: Parties .......................................................................................................................................................... 13
Step 3: Commodities ............................................................................................................................................... 19
Step 4: Transportation ........................................................................................................................................... 22
Shipment Print View .............................................................................................................................................. 23
Submit Shipment to AES ........................................................................................................................................ 24
Retrieve and Amend an EEI/Edit a Draft ............................................................................................................ 25
Retrieve and Amend Legacy AESDirect Shipments .......................................................................................... 26
Print a Shipment ..................................................................................................................................................... 27
Cancel EEI/Delete Draft ......................................................................................................................................... 27
Template Manager.................................................................................................................................................. 28
Create New Template .................................................................................................................................... 29
Load an Existing Template ........................................................................................................................... 30
Create EEI from Template............................................................................................................................. 31
Delete Template ............................................................................................................................................. 32
Party Profile Manager ............................................................................................................................................ 33
Open the Party Profile Manager .................................................................................................................. 33
Create Party Profile ....................................................................................................................................... 33
Loading Profiles.............................................................................................................................................. 34
Delete Profile .................................................................................................................................................. 35
AES Responses ......................................................................................................................................................... 36
AES Proof of Filing Citations ................................................................................................................................. 36
Predeparture and Advanced Export Information (AEI) Citations ................................................................. 36
Postdeparture Citations: ....................................................................................................................................... 36
CONTACT US............................................................................................................................................................. 37
Additional Resources ............................................................................................................................................. 38
Government Websites ............................................................................................................................................ 39

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General Information on Shipments
Before learning to file Electronic Export Information (EEI) using AESDirect, here is some general
information regarding EEI. We will refer to EEI as “Shipments” from this point forward.

Sections in each shipment

Shipment

Shipment Details

Parties

Parties Related to the
Shipment

Commodities

Goods being exported

Transportation

Transportation Details

Shipment
Contains general shipment information.

Commodities
Contains commodity information.

(Required for all Shipments).

(Required for all Shipments).

Parties
Contains information about the USPPI (the
person or entity in the United States that receives
the primary benefit, monetary or otherwise, from
the export transaction), the Ultimate Consignee
(the person or entity overseas who receives the
product), and the Freight Forwarder and
Intermediate Consignee (if applicable).

Transportation
Contains transportation details for the shipment,
including carrier information.
(Required for Mode of Ttransports: Vessel, Rail, Truck, Air)

(Required for all Shipments).

4

Special Shipments
Routed export transactions - Transactions where 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 also prepare
and file the shipment.
Shipments to Puerto Rico – The following is required:
•
•

Port of unlading for vessel and air shipments
Addresses should be listed with
o City – List municipality in Puerto Rico
o State – Indicate Puerto Rico (PR)
o Country – Indicate United States (U.S.)
o Postal Code – Indicate a valid postal code in Puerto Rico

Shipments From Puerto Rico – The following is required:
•
•

Port of unlading for vessel and air shipments
Addresses should be listed with:
o City – Indicate city of destination
o Country – Indicate the country of destination

For Transshipments through Mexico, Canada or another foreign country, the mode of transportation is the mode
of the carrier transporting the goods out of the United States.
Sold en Route - If the Ultimate Consignee is unknown at the time of export because your cargo will be sold while
at sea, click the Sold en Route box. If selected, you must update all consignee information within four calendar
days of the EEI transmission and approval by the AES.
Mail - If the carrier is the United States Postal Service (USPS), select “Mail” as the mode of transportation.

5

Parties Involved in an Export Transaction
•

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.
• 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.
• Foreign Principal Party in Interest (FPPI)
The party abroad who purchases the goods for export or to whom final delivery or end-use of
the goods will be made. This may be the ultimate consignee.
• 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.
• 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.

Getting Started with AESDirect
Note: Please disable your browser’s pop-up blocker in order to access all of the features of the ACE Portal. For
optimum performance, please use Microsoft Edge.

Log in to Account
Step

Action

1

Go to https://ace.cbp.gov.

2

Select Trade/PGA User Login.

3

Enter Email and Password for your ACE account. Select “Create Account”
if you have not already created an account and follow the steps on
screen.

4

Click Login.

5

Enter Security Token received in your email.

6

Accessing ACE AESDirect
Step

Action

1

Select the References tab at the top

2

Select Legacy ACE

7

3

From ACE Secure Data Portal, select the Accounts tab at the top

4

Select Exporter in the drop-down next to View

8

5

Select Submit AESDirect Filings
NOTE: Please disable or turn off your browser’s pop-up blocker in order
to access the ACE Filing Portal. If you do not disable your pop-up
blocker, the portal will not open when you select ‘Submit AESDirect
Filings’.

AESDirect Interface
Colors and Symbols
•
RED asterisk indicates a mandatory field (Required)
•
BLUE diamond indicates a conditional field (May be required)
• No asterisk indicates an optional field (Not required)
Help
Available to the right of most fields to determine what is needed for each field and when fields are
required.

9

Shipment Manager
The Shipment Manager is the first screen you see after logging in to ACE and accessing the AESDirect
portal. This screen allows users to create, submit, and amend EEI and will show the high-level
information on previously filed shipments. The information is listed under sortable columns which
include:
• Filer ID
• Export Date
•
•
•
•
•
•

Shipment Reference Number/Count
State
Last Action
ITN
Last Updated
Last Updated By

•
•
•
•
•

USPPI
USPPI ID
Consignee
Destination
Shipment Action

Page Navigation
The Page Navigation feature allows users to navigate to the First, Last, Previous and Next pages. The
filer can also type in the desired page number manually.

Show Filters
The Filter feature allows users to search for previously transmitted ACE AESDirect EEI based on
one or more search criteria. These include USPPI Name, USPPI ID, Consignee Name, Country of
Destination, Port of Export, Carrier SCAC/IATA, User Name, and Filings Updated in. Select
Show Filters at the top of the screen to be able to access the filter criteria.

10

Create Export Filing
Step

Action

1

Log in to the ACE account.

2

Access ACE AESDirect.

3

Click Create Export Filing.

The following sections provide instructions for completing each of the required sections, as well as
definitions of all of the data fields for each section.

Step 1: Shipment
Step

Action

1
Select Step 1: Shipment

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2

Complete all of the shipment details as required.

Explanation of Data Fields for this section:
E-mail Response Address – This is where the AES Response will be
sent. More than one e-mail address can be added if separated by
commas.

Required: at least one e-mail

Shipment Reference Number – This is a unique identification
number (1 - 17 alphanumeric characters) used to identify each
shipment. The reuse of a Shipment Reference Number is prohibited.
We recommend that you establish a unique format to create
Shipment Reference Numbers and maintain a log of those already
used.

Required: unique number used
to identify each shipment;
cannot be re-used

Filing Option – Select the filing option you wish to use for this EEI:
2 – Predeparture
3P- AEI – Partial
4 –Postdeparturefiling.

Required: state the filing option
of this EEI

This field will default to Option 2. Postdeparture and Advanced
Export Information (AEI) filing is only available with approved USSPPI
IDs and for EEI that meet the requirements for postdeparture (AEI)
filing.
Mode of Transport (MOT) – The method by which goods arrive in or
are exported from the United States by way of seaports, airports, or

Required: how the goods will be
transported out of the U.S.

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land border crossing points. Methods of transportation include
vessel, air, truck, rail, or other.
For shipments crossing through Canada or Mexico to another
destination, report the mode of transportation for the movement of the
goods out of the United States.

Port of Export – 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 the exports (by overland transportation)
cross the U.S. border into a foreign country.

Required: port where the goods
are loaded on the exporting
carrier

Port of Unlading – First port where the goods will be removed from
the exporting carrier.

Conditional: 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: date leaving the U.S.

Origin State - Indicate where the goods begin their journey to the
port of export. If a shipment is coming from more than one
warehouse located in different states, provide the state with the
commodity of greatest value. If this is unknown, provide the state
where the commodities are consolidated for export.

Required: state where the goods
begin their journey to the port of
export

Country of Destination - Country where the goods will be
consumed, further processed, stored or manufactured as known at
the time of export. For shipments with the ultimate destination of
Puerto Rico, select ‘Puerto Rico’ from the drop-down.

Required: country where the
goods will be consumed

Inbond Code – The code indicating whether the shipment is being
transported under bond, and if so, the type of withdrawal.

Required: Inbond shipments
may not require an AES filing per
FTR 30.2(d)(1)

Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) - Provide the alphanumeric code assigned
by the Foreign Trade Zone Board from where goods are withdrawn
for export. 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.

Conditional: only required if
goods are removed from the FTZ
and not entered for
consumption

Import Entry # – If an Inbond Code is specified, report import entry
number

Conditional: only required if
Inbond Code is reported

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Original ITN The Original ITN is the ITN associated with a previously filed
shipment that is replaced or divided and for which additional
shipment(s) must be filed. The original ITN field can be used in
certain scenarios, such as, but not limited to, shipments sold en
route or cargo split by the carrier where the succeeding parts of
the shipment are not exported within the timeframes specified in
FTR 30.28.

Optional

Is this 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 file the EEI on its
behalf.

Required: indicate Yes if routed
or No if standard

Are USPPI and Ultimate Consignee related?
When USPPI and/or Ultimate Consignee owns directly or indirectly
10 percent or more of either party.

Required: indicate Yes or No

Does shipment contain hazardous material? Specify if there is
any hazardous merchandise (as defined by the
Department of Transportation).

Required: indicate Yes or No

Step 2: Parties
Step

Action

1
Select Step 2: Parties

2

Complete all of the information for the involved parties in this
transaction.
NOTE: You will need at least one USPPI and one Ultimate Consignee for
each transaction.

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USPPI (Mandatory)
The person or legal entity in the United States that receives the primary benefit, monetary or
otherwise from the export transaction. Generally, that person or entity is the U.S. seller, manufacturer,
or order party, or the foreign entity while in the United States when purchasing or obtaining the goods
for export.

Explanation of Data Fields for this section
ID Number Type – Select either Employer Identification Number
(EIN), DUNS or Foreign Entity ID (ex: passport number).

Required

ID Number – Employer Identification Number (EIN) or Foreign Entity
ID (ex: passport number).

Required

Note: Foreign party must be in the US when goods are obtained for
export.
Company Name - Provide the company’s name.

Required

IRS Number - If you select ‘DUNS’ as the ID Number Type, then the
EIN would also be required.

Conditional: required if ID
Number Type is DUNS

First and Last Name - Provide the first and last name of the contact
person. Names must have at least two letters and can not have
special characters such as accents or punctuation.

Required: names must
have at least two letter;
special characters are not
allowed

Phone Number - Provide the contact telephone number.

Required

15

Address Line 1 - Indicate address (no P.O. box number) of the
location from which the merchandise actually began its journey to
the port of export.

Required

Example: Goods loaded in a truck at a warehouse in Georgia for
transport to Florida to then be loaded on a vessel for export to a
foreign country must show the address of the warehouse in Georgia.
For shipments of multiple cargo origins, report the address from
where the commodity with the greatest value begins its export
journey. If such information is not known, report the address in state
where the merchandise is consolidated.
Address Line 2 – Enter the second line of the address.

Optional

Postal Code - Enter the postal code for the corresponding address. Required
City - Enter the city for the corresponding address.

Required

State - Enter the state for the corresponding address.

Required

Ultimate Consignee (mandatory)
The Ultimate Consignee section is always required. Please complete each data field as required.

Explanation of Data Fields for this section
Sold en Route - If you do not know the ultimate consignee because
your cargo will be sold wile in transit, select ‘Yes’.

Required: indicate yes or no

16

Input data as follows:
•
•

City: City of First Port of Call
Country: Country of First Port of Call (ISO Code)

Consignee information must be updated within four days of
the EEI transmission and approval by the AES.
Consignee Type - Select Consignee Type based on the business
function from consignee that applies most often. You can
select from:
• Direct Consumer - a non-government institution, enterprise,
or company that will consume or use the exported good as a
consumable, for its own internal processes, as an input to
the production
• Government Entity - a government-owned or
government-controlled agency, institution, enterprise,
or company.
• Reseller - a non-government reseller, retailer, wholesaler,
distributor, distribution center or trading company
• Other/Unknown - an entity not previously indicated, as
defined above, or whose ultimate consignee type is not
known at the time of export

Required: select consignee type
from the drop-down menu

ID Number Type – Select either Employer Identification Number
(EIN), DUNS, or Foreign Entity ID (ex: passport number).

Optional

ID Number: Employer Identification Number (EIN), DUNS, or Foreign
Entity ID (ex: passport number).

Optional

Company Name - Enter the company’s name. If you select ‘Sold en
Route’, all consignee information must be updated within four
calendar days from the departure date.

Required: company name or
sold en route indicator

First and Last Name - The contact person’s name.

Optional

Phone Number – The contact person’s telephone number.

Optional

17

Address Line 1 - Enter the first line of the address.

Required

Address Line 2 - Enter the second line of the address.

Optional

Country - Enter the country of ultimate destination. Select ‘United
States’ for shipments with ultimate destination of Puerto Rico.

Required

Postal Code - Required for U.S. and Puerto Rico consignees, must be
a valid code for the state reported.

Conditional: required for
shipments between U.S. and
Puerto Rico

City - Enter the city for the corresponding country of ultimate
destination

Required

State - You must enter a valid state code for Mexican and U.S.
Consignees. Select ‘PR-Puerto Rico’ for shipments with ultimate
destination of Puerto Rico.

Conditional: required for
shipments to Mexico and
between U.S. and Puerto Rico

Intermediate Consignee Section (conditional)
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.
Please complete this section if applicable. See ‘Ultimate Consignee’ section for explanation of data
fields.

Freight Forwarder (conditional)
If you are the freight forwarder or authorized agent, you will need to enter your information into the
Freight Forwarder section, and the exporter’s information into the USPPI section.

18

Explanation of Data Fields for this section
ID Number Type – Select either Employer Identification Number
(EIN), DUNS or Foreign Entity ID.

Required

ID Number – Enter either Employer Identification Number
(EIN), DUNS or Foreign Entity ID.

Required

Company Name - Provide the company’s name.

Required: company name

First and Last Name – Provide the contact person’s first and last
name

Required: names must have at
least two letter; special
characters are not allowed

Phone Number – The contact person’s telephone number

Required

Address Line 1 – Enter the address for the freight forwarder’s
location

Required

Address Line 2

Optional

Postal Code - Enter the postal code for the freight forwarder’s
location

Required

City - Enter the city for the freight forwarder’s location

Required

State - Enter the state for the freight forwarder’s location. It must
correspond to the postal code entered.

Required

19

Step 3: Commodities
Step

Action

1
Select Step 3: Commodities

2
Select Add Line to open up a new commodity line.
Complete all of the commodity details as required.

Note: You may add multiple commodity lines by selecting Add Line.

Explanation of Data Fields for this section
Export Information Code - Select the code that identifies the type or
condition of the export transaction being made.

Required: type of export

Schedule B or HTS Number – Report commodity classification codes.
Some HTS Numbers are not valid for Export (see “Invalid HTS” ).
Provide 10 digits without periods. If you do not have a Schedule B
number, use the ’Schedule B Search Engine’ link to locate it.

Conditional: not required if
Export Code HH (personal and
household effects and tools of
the trade) is selected.

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Commodity Description - Report an appropriate description for the
commodity. Note: Per FTR 30.6(a)(13), report the description of
the goods shipped in English.

Required: commercial
description

1st and 2nd Quantity - Report the total quantity of the commodity
being exported for each commodity code classification. Report in the
unit of measure as required by the Schedule B or HTS Number.

Conditional: not required if
Export Code is HH (personal and
household effects and tools of
the trade) is selected.

1st and 2nd UOM- The Unit of Measure (UOM) 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.

Conditional: not required if
Export Code is HH.

Origin of Goods - Select “Domestic” if commodity is grown,
produced or manufactured in the U.S. Select “Foreign” for goods
grown, produced or manufactured in foreign countries, but have not
been changed in form or condition in the U.S.

Conditional: not required if
Export Code is HH. If the origins
vary for the same classification
number, report foreign goods
separately from domestic
goods.

Value of Goods - In general, the value to be reported in the EEI
shall be the value of the goods at the U.S. port of export in U.S.
dollars. The value shall be the selling price (or the cost, if the
goods are not sold), plus inland or domestic freight, insurance, and
other charges to the U.S. seaport, airport, or land border port of
export.

Required: selling price in whole
numbers, no symbols. Only
report US dollars.

Shipping Weight - Must be reported in kilograms. Include the
weight of the commodity and weight of normal packaging. For
details, see Foreign Trade Regulations 30.6(a)(16).

Conditional: required when
transportation is vessel, rail,
truck or air. Not required for
other modes of transport.

ECCN - This number is used to identify items on the Commerce
Control List (CCL).

Conditional: only required for
certain commodities

21

License Type Code/License Exemption Code - Select the appropriate
license type for the commodity. You may be required to enter
additional information based on the license type selected.

Required: determines if other
fields need to be reported

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
Partnership Agency licenses, can be found under Appendix F of the
AES Trade Interface Requirements (AESTIR).
Does the filing include used vehicles? - A used vehicle, according to
Customs and Border Protection CFR 192.2, is defined as “any selfpropelled vehicle the equitable or legal title to which has been
transferred by a manufacturer, distributor, or dealer to an ultimate
purchaser.” You will be required to complete additional information
if you are reporting a used vehicle.

Required: indicate yes or no

Does this filing require Participating Government agency data Does the filing require a Participating Government agency permit or
equivalent document?

Required: indicate yes or no,
complete additional fields as
required.

Adding more than one commodity
Commodity lines should be separated based on their commodity
classification code, origin of goods, commodities valued at over $2500, or
requiring an export license per commodity classification code. After saving
the first commodity, select “Add Line” to open a new Commodity Line.

22

Step 4: Transportation

Step

Action

1
Select Step 4: Transportation

2

Complete all of the transportation details as required.

Explanation of Data Fields in this section
Carrier SCAC/IATA – Carrier Code that identifies the transportation
company. Contact your transportation company to obtain their
carrier code.

Conditional: only required for
Air, Vessel, Rail, and Truck
shipments. Not required for
USPS shipments.

Conveyance Name/Carrier Name – Provide the vessel name for
ocean shipments and the carrier name for air, truck, and rail.

Conditional: only required for
Air, Vessel, Rail, and Truck
shipments. Not required for
USPS shipments.
Conditional: only required for
vessel shipments. Optional for
air shipments.

You may not report UNKNOWN for the Conveyance Name.

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. Optional for air shipments and it would be
the air waybill number
Seal Number – The seal number uniquely identifies each sealed unit.
This number is ordinarily imprinted on the seal itself. Equipment
seals are placed on equipment to identify that the contents of a
shipment has not been tampered with.

Conditional: Optional and only
for vessel shipments.

23

Shipment Print View
When you are filing the EEI you can preview the shipment information by pressing the Print View
button at the bottom of the shipment to preview. You can also view the shipment once you have
successfully submitted it and it will display the ITN.

24

Submit Shipment to AES
Step

Action

1
Click Submit Filing.
Once processed, the system will provide your response from AES.

2

25

Retrieve and Amend an EEI/Edit a Draft
From the Shipment Manager, you can search for shipments previously filed through ACE AESDirect by
entering your search criteria into the Search box.
Step

1

Action

Navigate to Shipment Manager

2
Enter your search criteria into the Search box

3

Once you have located your shipment, you can retrieve the filing or draft by
clicking the Amend or Edit link to the right, respectively.

26

Retrieve and Amend Previous Accepted Shipments

Step

1

2

Action
Navigate to the Shipment Manager
In order to amend shipments that have disappeared from the ACE AESDirect Shipment
Manager or shipments originally accepted through legacy AESDirect, you must click the
‘Amend Accepted Filing’ option:

Once you have selected this option you need to enter the Internal Transaction Number (ITN),
Shipment Reference Number (SRN) and Filer ID for the shipment. Your Filer ID may already be
populated if you only have one Employer Identification Number (EIN) or have to select one
from a drop-down menu if you file for multiple EINs. If you have more than one EIN registered,
verify that you are logged in to the ACE under the EIN in which the shipment was originally
filed.

3

Once all fields are completed, click Amend. This will populate the shipment information into
the screen. At this point, you can view, amend and/or resubmit the export filing as necessary.
This shipment will now appear in the Shipment Manager of ACE AESDirect.

27

Print a Shipment
Step
1

Action
Navigate to Shipment Manager

2
Enter your search criteria into the Search box

3

Once you have located your shipment, you can print the filing by
clicking the Print link to the right.

Cancel EEI/Delete Draft
Step

1

Action

Navigate to Shipment Manager

2
Enter your search criteria into the Search box

28

Once you have located your shipment, you can cancel the accepted EEI
filing by clicking the Cancel EEI or Delete (for drafts) link to the right.
Note: If you cannot see the Shipment Actions on the right of the
shipment information, look for a green circle with a ‘Plus’ sign on the
left and click it to show the Shipment Actions.

Template Manager
This feature saves frequent shipment information for use for future EEI. The only fields not stored in a
template are:
•
•
•
•

Shipment Reference Number
Transportation Reference Number
Origin State
Departure Date

• 1st and 2nd Quantity
• Value
• Gross Weight

The Template Manager shows a preview of each template. The Create EEI, Edit or Delete options will
allow you to manage your templates directly from this screen.
Note: ACE AESDirect has a limit of 1000 Shipment Templates per Filer ID. Once the limit is reac hed,
users will be unable to create additional templates. In this case, the user would need to delete a
previously saved template in order to create a new one.

29

Open the Template Manager
Step

Action

1

Click Tools Menu at the top right
2

Select Template Manager

Once selected, the Template Manager will display, and you will have access to all of your templates.

Create New Template
At any point while filing your AES data, you can create a new template.
Step
1

Action
Open up a new EEI Filing and begin entering the information.

2

Once you have entered the desired information for your template, click
Save as Template at the top right.

30

3

Enter a name and description for the template. When finished, click
Save Template.

Load an Existing Template
Step

Action

1

In the ‘Shipment Manager’ screen, click Create from Template

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2

Locate the desired template.

3

Click the template name to load.

4

Complete the empty fields and submit the EEI.

Create EEI from Template
Step
1

Action
From the Template Manager, identify the template you would like to
use for your new EEI

2

Click on the Create EEI option next to the template you want to use for
your EEI.

3

A new filing session will open up with your template data pre-populated
into the form.

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Delete Template
Step
1

Action
From the Template Manager, identify the template you would like to
delete.

2

Click Delete

3

Confirm that you would like to delete this template.

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Party Profile Manager
This feature saves company information for frequent USPPIs, Freight Forwarders and/or Ultimate Consignees.

Click the Tools menu from the Main Menu and select Party Profile Manager.

Open the Party Profile Manager
Step

Action

1

Click Tools Menu at the top right.
2

Select Party Profile Manager

Create Party Profile
Step
1

Action
Create a new EEI Filing

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2
3

Navigate to Step 2: Parties
Enter the information for the profile you would like to save

4

Once complete, select Save to Profile.

Loading Profiles
Step
1

Action
Create a new EEI Filing

2
Navigate to Step 2: Parties

3

Select Load from Profile.
4

In the Search box, enter the first few characters of the profile name.

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5

Select your profile and click Load Profile.

Delete Profile
Step
1

Action
From the Party Profile Manager, identify the profile you would like to
delete.

2

Click Delete.

3

Confirm that you would like to delete this profile by selecting Delete
Party Profile.

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AES Responses
Once shipments are processed by the Automated Export System (AES), a response message will
indicate the status of the shipment. You can access responses in your response e-mail or through the
Shipment Manager.
E-mails are sent to the address listed in the Shipment section. If the filing has been accepted, then the
Response E-mail will have your ITN included. If the filing has been rejected, the Response E-mail will
provide you with a rejection statement.

AES Proof of Filing Citations
The ITN (Internal Transaction Number) is a confirmation number that proves 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.
Exporters must cite the ITN on the first page of the bill of lading, air waybill, and/or other commercial
loading documents.

Predeparture and Advanced Export Information (AEI) Citations:
•

AES ITN
o Example: AES X20220601111111

Postdeparture Citations:
•

If an Authorized Agent files on behalf of an approved post-departure participant
o AESPOST USPPI ID FILER ID Date of Export
o Example: AESPOST 12345678900 987654321 06/01/2022

•

If USPPI files shipments directly to AES
o AESPOST USPPI ID – Date of Export
o Example: AESPOST 23456789000 06/01/2022

37

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

Toll Free: 800-549-0595- Option 2
Hours: M – F: 8 AM - 5:30 PM, EST

E-mail: [email protected]

E-mail: [email protected]
• Schedule B Classification Assistance
• Commodity related reporting issues
• Parameter Change Requests

•
•
•

AES Filing Problems
AES Fatal Errors
AES Monthly Reports

Regulations on Filing Export Data

Trade Data

Toll Free: 800-549-0595- Option 3
Hours: M – F: 7:30 AM - 6:30 PM, EST

Toll Free: 800-549-0595- Option 4
Hours: M – F: 8 AM - 5:30 PM, EST

E-mail: [email protected]
• Clarifying Regulations
• Responsibilities of the Parties in Export Transactions

E-mail: [email protected]

Trade Outreach

Accounts Service Desk

Toll Free: 800-549-0595- Option 5
Hours: M – F: 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM, EST

Telephone: 866-530-4172
Option 1 and then option 2

E-mail: [email protected]
• AES Compliance Seminars
• Vetting for Export Reports

E-mail: [email protected]
• Password resets / Unlock accounts
• Account set up and permission issues

•
•
•

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

38

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

Government Websites
Census Bureau – Economic Management
Division (EMD)
http://www.census.gov/trade
Provides information on Foreign Trade
Statistics, Regulations, reference materials, and
extensive details on the AES.

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).

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
http://www.cbp.gov/trade/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 the Treasury – Office of Foreign
Assets Control (OFAC)
www.treas.gov/ofac
Provides information regarding specially designated
nationals (SDN), blocked persons lists, sanction
programs and country summaries.

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.

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.

39

Government Websites
United States Munition List (USML) & Commerce Control List (CCL)
U.S. Department of State Licenses
Directorate of Defense Trade Controls:
https://www.pmddtc.state.gov/ddtc_public
202-663-2700
Bureau of Industry and Security
http://www.bis.doc.gov/
Washington, DC: 202-482-4811
Western Regional Office: 949-660-0144
Assistance in Exporting Worldwide -U.S. Commercial Service: 1-800-USA-TRADE

Note: This document is created and owned by the Trade Data Collection Branch, Economic
Management Division (EMD) at the Census Bureau. If you have any questions or comments related to
this document please contact us at: [email protected] or at 1-800-549-0595 and select option 1.
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