Electronic Export Information (EEI) is the export data filed in the Automated Export System (AES) for most shipments leaving the United States. For ocean cargo, the filer must transmit the EEI and give the carrier the proof of filing 24 hours before the cargo is loaded at the U.S. port.
The Census Bureau describes the Automated Export System as the export component of CBP's Automated Commercial Environment (Census Bureau: AES). It collects Electronic Export Information, the data that used to go on the paper Shipper's Export Declaration. The rules live in the Foreign Trade Regulations, 15 CFR part 30, which the Census Bureau administers.
Filers can submit through ACE AESDirect, which Census calls the primary, free filing tool, or through a direct connection that requires completing the AES software certification process. Either way, when AES accepts a filing it returns an Internal Transaction Number (ITN), the confirmation that the export information was accepted.
Under 15 CFR 30.2, EEI is filed by the United States Principal Party in Interest (USPPI), the USPPI's authorized agent, or the authorized U.S. agent of the Foreign Principal Party in Interest. The USPPI is the person in the United States that receives the primary benefit of the transaction, usually the U.S. seller. A U.S. manufacturer selling directly to a foreign buyer is the USPPI; if it sells domestically to a U.S. distributor that then exports, the distributor is.
The filer must have a physical office or residence in the United States, be in the U.S. when preparing and filing, have an EIN or DUNS number and be certified to report in AES. The filer is responsible for complete, accurate and timely data, except where it can show it reasonably relied on information from other parties.
| Party | Role in AES |
|---|---|
| USPPI (usually the U.S. seller) | Responsible for the EEI; files itself or authorizes an agent. |
| Authorized agent (often a forwarder or NVOCC) | Prepares and transmits the EEI on the USPPI's behalf. |
| Exporting carrier | Receives the proof of filing citation or exemption legend, annotates its outbound manifest when required and presents it to CBP. |
EEI is required for exports from the United States, Puerto Rico, U.S. foreign trade zones and the U.S. Virgin Islands to foreign countries. It is also required for shipments between the U.S. and Puerto Rico and to the U.S. Virgin Islands from the U.S. or Puerto Rico, which matters for every Florida carrier serving those trades.
The best-known exemption is in 15 CFR 30.37(a): no EEI is needed when the value shipped from one USPPI to one ultimate consignee on a single conveyance under an individual Schedule B or HTS number is $2,500 or less. The test is per classification number, not per shipment, so a mixed shipment may need EEI for some lines and not others.
Some shipments need EEI regardless of value. Section 30.2 lists, among others, exports that require a Commerce (BIS) license or EAR reporting, items subject to the State Department's ITAR, DEA export permits, Nuclear Regulatory Commission licenses, licenses from any other federal agency, rough diamonds, and used self-propelled vehicles.
For vessel cargo, 15 CFR 30.4(b)(2)(i) requires the USPPI or agent to file the EEI and provide the filing citation or exemption legend to the exporting carrier 24 hours prior to loading the cargo on the vessel at the U.S. port. Two ocean cases are different:
The proof of filing citation, built around the ITN, or the exemption legend goes on the first page of the bill of lading or other commercial loading document, clearly visible. The carrier annotates its outbound manifest with it when required and presents it to CBP at the port of export without material change.
For an NVOCC or forwarder handling exports as the USPPI's agent, a repeatable routine looks like this:
Keeping that information on the same booking and bill of lading record avoids the classic failure: the ITN sits in someone's e-mail while the bill goes out without it. In a system such as GDZ-ISIS, the booking, dock receipt and bill of lading already share one record, so the parties and cargo details the filer needs are in one place.
Most AES problems on ocean exports come from a short list of misunderstandings, all of them addressed in 15 CFR part 30:
An NVOCC that files for many small exporters sees these errors every week. Building the checks into booking, rather than catching them at the documentation cutoff, is where NVOCC software earns its keep.
The penalty section, 15 CFR 30.71, sets base amounts that are adjusted for inflation every year, so check the current figures before relying on them:
The Census Bureau also publishes guidance on AES fatal errors and a monthly AES compliance report for filers. Treat a fatal error like a CBP manifest rejection: fix it the same day. For the import side of the same trade lanes, see our guide to ACE AMS manifest filing.
No. EEI is generally not required when each Schedule B or HTS line from one USPPI to one consignee on one vessel is $2,500 or less, unless a license or another listed condition applies. Check 15 CFR 30.2 and 30.37 for the full rules.
The EEI must be filed, and the filing citation or exemption legend given to the exporting carrier, 24 hours before the cargo is loaded on the vessel at the U.S. port. Used self-propelled vehicles must be filed at least 72 hours before export.
The Internal Transaction Number is the confirmation number AES returns when it accepts an EEI filing. It forms the proof of filing citation that goes on the bill of lading and to the carrier.
Yes, shipments between the United States and Puerto Rico are covered by the Foreign Trade Regulations. For those shipments, the proof of filing or exemption legend must reach the carrier by the time the shipment arrives at the port of unlading.
Yes, as the USPPI's authorized agent. The filer must have a U.S. office, an EIN or DUNS number and AES certification, and is responsible for accurate, timely data.