U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government


end of header

Foreign Trade

Skip top of page navigation
You are here: Census.govBusiness & IndustryForeign-Trade › AES

Overview - Getting Started on AES

Understand your roles and responsibilities when transmitting export information into the AES.

Contents:


What is AES?

The Automated Export System (AES) is a computer system that collects Electronic Export Information (EEI). In many cases, the law requires you to report EEI for goods exported from the United States and its territories. For specifics on when EEI filing is required, see the Correct Way to Complete the EEI.

Who May Participate in AES?

U. S. Principal Parties in Interest (USPPIs), Authorized Agents, Service Centers, and Software Developers may participate in AES.

How do Participants Get Started using AES?

Getting started in AES varies depending on the type of participant. In general, two types of certification may be required to use AES: filer certification and software certification.

In short, those who complete the EEI must get filer certification and those who create computer programs to send the EEI must get software certification.

The table below shows the two types of certification and the types of participants that are eligible for each.

Type of AES Certification: Filer Certification Software Certification
Type of AES Participant: USPPI Authorized Agent USPPI Authorized Agent Service Center Software Developer

Filer certification is the approval granted to allow certain companies or individuals to report information needed to complete the EEI electronically. Only USPPIs and authorized agents are eligible for filer certification. The filer certification consists of completing the filer certification process.

Software certification is the approval granted to allow a company or individual to use or develop software that they create to send EEI to the AES. USPPIs, authorized agents, service centers and software developers are eligible for software certification. See the software certification process.

To help you understand what you need to get started, we provide the below scenarios.

Six Getting Started Scenarios:
1 If a USPPI or authorized agent decides to report the EEI using purchased AES-certified software, then the USPPI or authorized agent would need to contact the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to determine if filer certification is required.
2 If a USPPI decides to delegate the filing of the EEI to an authorized agent, then the USPPI would not need either certification. The authorized agent would follow scenario #1 or scenario #3.
3 If a USPPI or authorized agent decides that they want to report EEI via ACE AESDirect, then the USPPI or authorized agent would need to agree to the certification statements provided on ACE AESDirect.
4 If a USPPI or authorized agent decides to report the EEI using an AES-certified service center, then filer certification is not required.
5 If a USPPI or authorized agent plans to develop and use its own proprietary AES software, then the USPPI or authorized agent must obtain both filer and software certification.
6 If a software developer plans to develop and market its own AES-certified software to the export trade community, then the software developer must obtain software certification.

 


 

 


This symbol Off Site indicates a link to a non-government web site. Our linking to these sites does not constitute an endorsement of any products, services or the information found on them. Once you link to another site you are subject to the policies of the new site.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau | Source:International Trade Management Division | ftdwebmaster@census.gov |  Last Revised: March 20, 2024