This blog is intended to help exporters file the AES record and use the “One Rule” to determine if goods make up one or multiple shipments. Let’s use a simple scenario to walk you through the necessary steps.

A New York exporter is getting ready to file an export shipment on behalf of Company ABC, a U.S. Principal Party in Interest (USPPI), in the Automated Export System (AES). But Company ABC is delivering goods from warehouses across the country.

The commercial invoices from Company ABC include the following information:

• $5,000 of soccer balls from a Maryland warehouse.
• $4,000 of soccer cleats from a Pennsylvania warehouse.
• $3,000 of soccer nets from a Georgia warehouse.

And the consolidated shipment is scheduled to leave this Friday by vessel destined to Company XYZ.

So how do you handle this potentially messy transaction? 

The first step is to determine how many AES transactions to file.  Is there one shipment or multiple?  In other words, will one Internal Transaction Number be needed or more?

The “One Rule” will help us figure this out.  According to the “One Rule,” filing is required if goods are shipped:

• from ONE U.S. Principal Party in Interest (USPPI),
• to ONE foreign consignee,
• on ONE conveyance,
• on ONE day,
• and over the $2,500 per Schedule B or specifically requiring filing per Section30.2(a)(1)(iv).

Based off the “One Rule,” the above scenario is considered a single shipment. This shipment is from one USPPI (Company ABC), to one ultimate consignee (Company XYZ), on one conveyance (an ocean vessel), on one day (Friday), and over $2,500 per Schedule B number.  The fact that the commoditiescome from multiple warehouses in the United States does not matter.

So the “One Rule” fortunately tells us to file just one AES transaction, but what are the USPPI address and state of origin? Is it the address of the consolidation location in New York? Or the address of a warehouse in one of the states where the goods originated? In this scenario, you are to report Maryland because it is the state that the commodity with the greatest value originated from.

Below is an example of how to file this information in AESDirect:

Origin State

Cargo Origin

If you have questions about this or other regulatory matters, please contact the Trade Regulations Branch at 800-549-0595, Option 3 or e-mail itmd.askregs@census.gov.