Census Creates Extensive Webpage on Mandatory AES

This mandatory filing requirement is effective July 2, 2008, but enforcement is delayed until October 1, 2008 in order to provide the trade an additional 90 days to implement the changes required by the final rule.

(AES is used to file required export information directly with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Census.)

Highlights of the documents posted to this Web page are as follows:

FAQ on Foreign Trade Regulations

Census has posted a frequently asked questions (FAQ) document on the new Foreign Trade Regulations (FTR).

(The final rule amended in its entirety the Federal Trade Statistics Regulations (FTSR) and renamed it the FTR to more accurately reflect the scope of the revised regulations implementing mandatory AES filing.)

The FAQ explains, among other things, the purpose of filing EEI, why it is becoming mandatory, and who can file it.

In addition, the FAQ highlights EEI record-keeping requirements; how to make corrections to an EEI record; the EEI filing timeframes for vessel/air/truck/rail cargo, etc.; the required data elements on the EEI; the responsibilities of the U.S. Principal Party in Interest (USPPI) in certain export transactions, transactions for which EEI is not required, etc.

(Electronic Export Information (EEI) is the electronic equivalent of the export data formerly collected as SED information and now mandated to be filed through the AES.)

Quick Guide to FTR

This guide contains references to export trade regulations and guidelines to assist in properly submitting EEI via AES. It is intended to be a quick reference to the FTR and is not intended to replace the FTR or any other Federal agency's export regulations.

The guide contains definitions and explanations of many of the terms used in Census' mandatory AES final rule, including those for: Foreign Principal Party in Interest (FPPI), routed export transactions, power of attorney and written authorization, drop shipment, value to be reported, etc. (Census sources call the hard copy of this guide "the flipper.")

Submitting a Voluntary Self-Disclosure to Census

This document describes what voluntary self-disclosures are and gives examples of instances in which they might be filed. The document also lays out the procedures to follow for submitting voluntary self-disclosures and notes the type of information such a disclosure letter should contain.

Seminars and Training

Census has also posted information on training related to mandatory AES, including:

Export Compliance and AESPcLinkworkshops on June 10 and 11, 2008 in Atlanta, GA and on June 19 and 20, 2008 in Herndon, VA;

AESDirect online training conducted by the company that developed and operates AES is held every Wednesday and Friday from 2:00-3:00 EST for $50.

AESDirect is Census' free Internet-based system for filing SED information with AES. AESPcLink is a Windows-based desktop PC component of AESDirect that allows filers to enter their SED information off-line and connect to AESDirect using the Internet to submit their SEDs to AES.

(See ITT's Online Archives or 06/02/08 and 06/05/08 news, 08060200 and 08060515, for Parts I and II of BP's summary of Census' final rule.

See ITT's Online Archives or 06/03/08 news, 08060305, for BP summary of Census notice to CBP and the trade on its final rule.)

Census' mandatory AES Web site with links to the FAQ, Quick Guide, etc. available at http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/aes/mandatory/index.html