What is the Automated Export System (AES)?
The Automated Export System (AES) is the electronic system exporters and their agents use to report US exports to the US government. The filing is called Electronic Export Information (EEI). It replaced the paper Shipper’s Export Declaration, and today AES runs inside CBP’s Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) portal.
Because filing is electronic, AES checks each submission as it is entered and flags errors straight away, so they can be corrected before the goods leave. It works at every US port and for every mode of transport.
Core principle: AES gives US authorities export data before cargo departs, for export control enforcement and official trade statistics.
When is an AES filing required?
Under the US Foreign Trade Regulations, EEI must generally be filed in AES when:
- the value of a single Schedule B (or HTS) commodity line in a shipment is over US$2,500, or
- the goods need an export licence (for example from the Bureau of Industry and Security), whatever their value, or
- the goods are going to a destination or party subject to specific export restrictions.
A successful filing returns an Internal Transaction Number (ITN), which goes on the export paperwork as proof that EEI was filed. Exemptions exist, for example for many low-value shipments to most countries, so check the rules for your specific goods and destination.
What does an AES filing contain?
1. Parties
What it is: The US principal party in interest (usually the exporter), the ultimate consignee and any intermediate consignee.
Why it matters: Export controls are applied to parties as well as products.
2. Commodity details
What it is: Schedule B or HTS classification, quantity, value and export control classification where relevant.
Why it matters: Classification drives licensing checks and trade statistics.
3. Shipment details
What it is: Port of export, mode of transport, carrier and destination country.
Why it matters: It links the export record to the physical movement of goods.
AES and European exports
AES only covers exports from the United States. Goods leaving the EU are declared through each Member State’s export system under the Union Customs Code, and the UK uses the Customs Declaration Service (CDS). US goods arriving in Europe also need an entry summary declaration in the EU’s ICS2 safety and security system, the European counterpart of the US Automated Manifest System (AMS).
Example: A US brand sends a pallet of supplements worth US$8,000 to a European fulfilment warehouse. Because one Schedule B line is over US$2,500, its forwarder files EEI in AES before departure and puts the ITN on the bill of lading.
Frequently asked questions
Who files in AES?
The US principal party in interest, usually the exporter, or an authorised agent such as a freight forwarder or customs broker.
Is AES the same as ACE?
No. ACE is CBP’s wider trade-processing platform; AES is the export-reporting function that now runs inside ACE.
What is an ITN?
The Internal Transaction Number that AES returns when an EEI filing is accepted. It is quoted on export documents as proof of filing.
Where can I read the official rules?
The US International Trade Administration and the Census Bureau publish the Foreign Trade Regulations and EEI guidance.
Official guidance: Electronic Export Information (trade.gov).
