Introduction to ITDS in AES

Introduction to ITDS in AES

The purpose of this email message is to alert filers in the Automated Export System (AES) to be on the lookout for new AES functionality that will be communicated to you in the next year. This communication will allow AES filers to prepare for new reporting requirements in AES as a result of AES being a critical component of the International Trade Data System (ITDS) “single window” concept for exports.

On February 19, 2014, the President of the United States signed the executive order on STREAMLINING THE EXPORT/IMPORT PROCESS FOR AMERICA'S BUSINESSES. The order established policy principles and an implementation plan for the development of the ITDS by December 2016, and to improve supply chain processes and identification of illicit shipments.

The ITDS will allow businesses to continue to transmit in the AES the transactional data required by dozens of U.S. executive departments and agencies for the exportation of cargo. In doing so, the platform on which AES resides will be the system for the export data exchange (or “single-window”). Although AES is currently mandatory to meet the export reporting requirements of the Commerce Department’s U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Industry and Security, and the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, businesses will soon be able to submit data in AES to satisfy requirements of other agencies that currently require reporting on paper. The ITDS single window concept will improve the costly and time-consuming process by allowing businesses to submit electronic data one time in AES.

The modernized information communication infrastructure provided by the ITDS will also enable improvements to current logistics and border management processes which would, in turn, simplify the export process and facilitate enforcement of U.S. trade, security, safety, and environmental laws. Agencies will have authorized access to accurate and timely electronic export data to better orchestrate reviews and develop common risk-management policies and systems. In addition, businesses will also have authorized access to their own data through the “single window” for recordkeeping and to ensure compliance.

As the new functionality is introduced, we will strive to provide timely email messages that will provide a narrative of the new functionality, links to appropriate websites for programming instructions, and dates when testing or pilots will be available. In the coming months ahead, be on the lookout for messages describing the following:

• The new electronic reporting capability for Environmental Protection Agency-regulated Hazardous Waste Exports
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s new electronic reporting capability for Automated Outbound Manifests
• Other Government Agencies’ electronic reporting capabilities for regulated export items

For more information about the International Trade Data System and copies of these fact sheets, visit http://www.itds.gov/xp/itds/tsn/index.html If you have questions, please contact the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Automated Commercial Environment Communication Team via email at AskACE@cbp.dhs.gov.

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