Have you shipped a package overseas that is valued over $2,500 per Schedule B classification number or licensed? Were you told to file Electronic Export Information (EEI) in the Automated Export System (AES) to receive an Internal Transaction Number (ITN)? Are you confused, lost or feel like a contestant on Wheel of Fortune with the abundance of letter combinations presented to you? Rest assured that we are here to help you.

When filing for the first time you are likely to encounter various acronyms that are unfamiliar to you. To assist you with the filing process, here are the most commonly used acronyms:

AES – The Automated Export System is where your reported EEI goes when you file it. This system gathers, processes and stores the export information. AES filers can transmit EEI to the AES via Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) AESDirect, approved self-programming software, approved vendor software, or an approved service center. Government agencies use the data that you report to the system to provide the public with vital statistics about our country’s economy. For a detailed look at these statistics, please visit our webpage.

EEI – Quite simply this means Electronic Export Information. Think of this as an electronic declaration of merchandise leaving the United States and being exported to a foreign country.  This will include information about the sender and the receiver of the goods, along with information about the goods being exported.

EIN – The Employer Identification Number is a unique nine-digit number issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Whether you are a business, or an individual exporting goods, you must obtain this number from the IRS in order to register for an account to gain access to the AES. Individuals wanting to export are advised to apply for an EIN as sole proprietors. See instructions on how to apply.

HTS – The Harmonized Tariff Schedule is a 10-digit number used to classify goods for import. In Step 3 of your filing, you may classify your product with either an HTS code, or a Schedule B number. The choice is yours. Please note that there are HTS numbers that are invalid for export.

IATA – The International Air Transport Association code is how carriers for air exports are identified. You will encounter this field in Step 4 of your filing. Please contact your air carrier for the correct reporting of their IATA.

ITN – The Internal Transaction Number is the confirmation number you receive once your electronic export information is submitted to and accepted by the AES. This number serves as proof of filing in the AES.

SCAC – The Standard Carrier Alpha Code, issued by the National Motor Freight Transit Association, is how carriers for vessel, rail and truck exports are identified. You will encounter this field in Step 4 of your filing. Please contact your carrier for the correct reporting of their SCAC.

Schedule B – This 10-digit number is used to classify the goods that you are exporting. You will encounter this required field in Step 3 of your filing in the ACE AESDirect portal. To classify your goods correctly, please visit our Schedule B Search Engine webpage.

SRN – This refers to the Shipment Reference Number, which is a unique number that you create for each individual shipment. This can be any combination of letters and numbers up to 17 characters. Since this number cannot be reused, you must create a new and unique number for each shipment. You will encounter this required field in Step 1 of your filing in the ACE AESDirect portal.

USPPI – The U.S. Principal Party in Interest refers to the person in the United States that receives the primary benefit, monetary or otherwise, of the export transaction. You will encounter this required filed in Step 2 of your filing in the ACE AESDirect portal.

Here is a full list of AES acronyms and definitions. For additional definitions, visit the census.gov glossary.