The U.S. Foreign Trade Regulations designate the required data elements for submitting Electronic Export Information (EEI) to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (15 C.F.R. §30.6). The primary tool for electronic submission of EEI is the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) AESDirect. Following is a list of the minimum required data needed to complete an EEI filing in AESDirect. The data below is listed in the same order used by AESDirect.

Email Response Address(es)

This will usually be the email address of the Empowered Official or lead trade personnel.

Shipment Reference Number

Create a unique identification number to identify each shipment. An internal invoice number or packing slip number can be used to associate the shipment with the internal shipping documents.

Filing Option

Option "2-Predeparture" is the default and is the appropriate choice for most shipments. The EEI is required to be transmitted prior to departure for ITAR-controlled items, shipments that require a BIS license, and for routed export transactions. See 15 C.F.R. §30.4 for more information.

Mode/Method of Transportation

This is the method of transportation used to transport the goods out of the U.S., such as aircraft, truck, train, or vessel. For shipments that pass-through Canada, Mexico, or another foreign country before reaching final destination (transshipment), record the mode of transportation used at the time the goods leave the U.S. If vessel shipment, determine if the goods are containerized or non-containerized.

Port of Export

This is the U.S. port where the goods are loaded aboard the method of transport that will take the goods out of the U.S., usually an airport or seaport; or, the U.S. border crossing where the goods leave the country by vehicle. If the transport stops at several ports before leaving the U.S., record the first port where the goods were loaded onto the transport.

Foreign Port of Unlading

This field is required for all vessel shipments, and air shipments only between the U.S. and Puerto Rico. This is the first foreign port where the exporting carrier will unload the goods.

Departure Date

Report the date the goods leave the U.S. Be as accurate as possible! The reported date should not be more than 24 hours from the time the goods leave the U.S.

U.S. State of Origin

The 2-character postal code for the state in which the goods begin the journey to the port of export. If a shipment is coming from multiple warehouse locations in different states, provide the state with the commodity of greatest value. If this is unknown, provide the state where the goods are consolidated for export.

Country of Ultimate Destination

This is the country in which goods will be consumed, further processed, stored, or manufactured, as known to the U.S. Principal Party (USPPI) at the time of export. For shipments that require an export license before leaving the U.S., the country of ultimate destination is the country of the specified end user or ultimate consignee as reflected in the export license.

Inbond Type/Code and Import Entry Number

The Inbond Type/Code applies to shipments transported under bond. If the goods are not shipped under bond, enter code "70." See 15 C.F.R. §30.2(d)(1) for more information. An Import Entry Number is required only if an Inbond Code is reported, or if the goods were imported into the U.S. for export to a third country of ultimate destination.

Is the shipment a Routed Export Transaction?

A routed export transaction is a transaction in which the Foreign Principal Party in Interest (FPPI) authorizes a U.S. agent to facilitate the export of items from the United States and to prepare and file the EEI. This should be confirmed with the Empowered Official or lead trade personnel. See 15 C.F.R. §30.3(e) for more information.

*Practice Note: It is common for manufacturers or sellers to permit foreign customers to select their own freight forwarder or agent to process shipment of U.S. purchased goods to a foreign destination. If you offer this option to your customers, you may be engaging in Routed Export Transactions. These types of transactions require extra care in preparation, reporting, and recordkeeping to avoid potentially costly violations of the various regulations that may apply. It is recommended to seek the advice of qualified trade professionals or legal counsel for further guidance on routed export transactions.

Related Parties to Transaction

A "related party" transaction is between a USPPI and an ultimate consignee where either party owns, directly or indirectly, 10% or more of the other party.

Hazardous Materials

"Hazardous materials" are defined by the Department of Transportation at 49 C.F.R. §171.8 and include the substances found on the Hazardous Materials Table found at 49 C.F.R. §172.101. Consult the appropriate personnel to determine if your goods are on the hazardous materials lists.

USPPI Information

The person or legal entity that receives primary benefit, monetary or otherwise, from the export transaction. This is usually the U.S. seller or manufacturer. All the following are required: i) USPPI's EIN or Tax ID number; ii) company name (alpha only – no special characters); iii) point of contact's full name and phone number; and iv) company full physical address (no P.O. boxes). The point of contact should be the person responsible for verifying the information for submission to the government.

Ultimate Consignee Information

The "ultimate consignee" is the person, party, or designee that is located abroad and receives the export shipment. For shipments requiring export licenses, the Ultimate Consignee Name and Address filed must match the Ultimate Consignee from the export license. The Ultimate Consignee Type must be one of the following:

  1. 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 of another good, or as machinery or equipment that is part of a manufacturing process or provision of services, and will not resell or distribute the good.
  2. Government Entity - a government-owned or government-controlled agency, institution, enterprise, or company.
  3. Reseller - a non-government reseller, retailer, wholesaler, distributor, distribution center, or trading company.
  4. Other/Unknown - an entity that is not a Direct Consumer, Government Entity or Reseller, as defined above, or whose ultimate consignee type is not known at the time of export.

Intermediate Consignee Name and Address

The "intermediate consignee" is the person or entity in the foreign country who acts as an agent for the principal party in interest for the purpose of delivering the exported items to the ultimate consignee. Not all shipments will have an intermediate consignee. This field is only required if an intermediate consignee is used.

  Freight Forwarder Name and Address

The "freight forwarder" or authorized/forwarding agent is the person or entity in the U.S. that will facilitate the movement of the cargo from the U.S. to the foreign destination. The freight forwarder can also be authorized by the USPPI or the FPPI to prepare and file the EEI. For goods that require an export license, the freight forwarder is named on the export license. Not all export transactions involve a freight forwarder. This is a conditional field and is only required if a freight forwarder is used.

Export Information Code

The export information code identifies the type of export shipment or condition of the exported items (e.g., goods donated for relief or charity, impelled shipments, shipments under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, household goods, and all other shipments). Code "OS" for general exports (all other exports) is the most commonly used export information code.

Schedule B/HTS Code

The Schedule B is the Statistical Classification of Domestic and Foreign Commodities Exported from the U.S. and managed by the U.S. Census Bureau. Schedule B numbers are 10-digit commodity codes classification codes based in part on the International Harmonized System, which is the global number system used throughout most of the world to designate tariffs on goods. It is important to verify that the accurate Schedule B code is reported. If you are unsure of the Schedule B, contact the Empowered Official or lead trade personnel.

*Practice Note: Schedule B and HTS determination can be complicated and time consuming. Using an inaccurate code can result in higher than necessary tariff costs and possibly penalties and fines for misclassifications of goods. It is recommended that you seek the advice of experienced trade professionals or legal counsel for advice and assistance with tariff schedule determinations.

Commodity Description

You must provide a commodity description of sufficient detail to permit U.S. Customs to verify the Schedule B Number at the time of export. If the shipment requires an export license, the description reported on the EEI should match the commodity description on the export license.

Quantity

The quantity must be in the unit of measure corresponding to the applicable Schedule B Number (e.g., kilograms, square meters, numbers, etc.). For Schedule B Numbers having an "X" as the unit of measure, no quantity is reported. When the corresponding unit of measure is in terms of weight (grams, kilograms, metric tons, etc.), the quantity reflects the net weight, not including the weight of the barrels, boxes, or bulky coverings.

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. Report foreign origin goods as a separate line item from domestic goods, even if the Schedule B Number and export classification information are the same.

Value

The value to be reported is the value of the goods at the U.S. port of export in U.S. dollars, rounded to the nearest dollar. Fractions of a dollar less than 50 cents should be ignored, and fractions of 50 cents or more should be rounded up to the next dollar. To obtain the value for reporting, add the selling price (or the cost, if the goods are not sold), plus inland or domestic freight, insurance, and other charges to the port of export.

For goods shipped on consignment without a sale having been made at the time of export, the selling price reported in the EEI is the market value at the time of export from the U.S.

Where the actual amount of freight, insurance, and other domestic costs is not available, make an estimate of the domestic costs and add it to the cost of the goods or selling price to derive the reported value.

*Practice Note: Proper Customs valuation is critical to accurate EEI reporting. There can be many factors that affect reported value for exports as well as imports. Where any uncertainty regarding value exists, contact a qualified trade professional or legal counsel for guidance to avoid costly fines and penalties for inaccurate reporting.

Shipping Weight

Report the weight in kilograms, including weight of the commodity and weight of normal packaging (e.g., boxes, crates, barrels, etc.). Required for shipments traveling by truck, air, rail or sea.

Export Control Classification Number (ECCN)

This is the ECCN of the goods being shipped. No line item should have more than one ECCN reported. Verify the ECCN with your Empowered Official or lead trade personnel.

*Practice Note: Determination of the ECCN is a complex process of determining the appropriate U.S. Government agency, or in some cases multiple agencies, that has jurisdiction over export controls for a commodity, technology, or service, and the applicable U.S. regulations that subsequently apply to that commodity based upon the ECCN determination. Using an inaccurate ECCN can expose the exporter to potentially severe penalties and fines. It is highly recommended that you seek experienced trade professionals or legal counsel for advice and assistance with commodity jurisdiction and classification.

License Type Code/License Exemption Code

If an export license is required for the shipment, enter the correct License Type Code. For items subject to the ITAR and requiring export licenses, enter "S05" as the License Type Code. For items subject to the EAR and requiring export licenses, enter "C30" as the License Type Code.

Depending upon the License Type Code selected, additional information may be required to complete the EEI filing. Have the license(s) applicable to the shipment available for reference.

In most cases, goods having a U.S. Munitions List (USML) code or a "600 series" ECCN (e.g., 9A610) cannot be filed as license code "NLR" as shipments of these commodities will almost always require an export license.

If the export shipment includes a used vehicle, as defined in 19 C.F.R. Part 192, you will be required to provide additional information about the vehicle.

If there is a permit or authorization for the export or import of the goods issued by a Partner Government Agency (PGA), report that information also. Examples of PGAs: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Federal Drug Administration (FDA); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), to name a few.

License Number

For items requiring an export license, enter the number of the export license. It is important to verify that the license reported for the export is valid for the country of ultimate destination and ultimate consignee of the export. It is also important to verify that the license has not been exceeded, by either quantity or value, for the amount licensed for the specific item(s) being shipped.

If a license is required and no license has been obtained, or licensed values or quantities have been exceeded or will be exceeded upon export, the export transaction should be placed on hold and must not be exported until a valid license is obtained.

License Value

For items requiring an export license, report the value (per line item) designated on the export license that corresponds to the item(s) being exported. This value should match the value provided on the commercial invoice for the shipment.

Carrier Identification Codes

The carrier identification is the Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC) for vessel, rail, and truck shipments or the International Air Transport Association (IATA) code for air shipments. See www.nmfta.org for a list of SCAC, and The carrier identification is the Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC) for vessel, rail, and truck shipments or the International Air Transport Association (IATA) code for air shipments. See www.nmfta.org for a list of SCAC, and www.iata.org for a list of IATA codes.

Exporting Conveyance/Carrier Name

The conveyance name/carrier name is the name of the carrier company transporting the goods out of the U.S. as known at the time of exportation. For exports by sea, the carrier/conveyance name is the vessel name. For exports by air, rail, or truck, the carrier name is the name that corresponds to the Carrier Identification Code.

Transportation Reference Number; Equipment Number; Seal Number

Transportation Reference Number is mandatory for (ocean) vessel and optional for air shipments. For vessel shipments, enter the reservation or booking number.