524 Internal Transaction Number (ITN)

524.1 General

U.S. Census Bureau regulations require electronic filing of export information through the Census Bureau’s Automated Export System (AES) or AESDirect Web site for certain outbound international shipments of goods. Before mailing, customers subject to this filing requirement are responsible for presenting an Internal Transaction Number (ITN) or AES Downtime Citation as evidence of compliance.

524.2 Filing Requirements

524.21 Mandatory Filing

Electronic filing of export information is required when any of the following applies:

1. The value of any type of goods is over $2,500, unless an AES Exemption applies (see 526). For this purpose, value is measured according to all goods within the same Schedule B number or Harmonized Tariff Schedule number that is mailed from the same sender to the same recipient on the same day. (Schedule B is available at census.gov/foreign-trade/schedules/b/index.html. The Harmonized Tariff Schedule is available at hts.usitc.gov.) The following three examples illustrate the value criterion:
1. Example 1: An insured Priority Mail International package contains one mechanical watch (Schedule B item number 9101.11.0000) valued at $2,400, and one electronic watch (Schedule B item number 9101.91.0000) valued at $2,400. The total value of goods to be mailed is $4,800, but because the mechanical watch and electronic watch are in different Schedule B groups, no group of items within the same Schedule B number is valued at more than $2,500. Consequently, electronic filing and an ITN is not required. Rather, AES Exemption “NOEEI 30.37(a)” applies, assuming that none of the separate requirements in 524.21b–g apply.
2. Example 2: An insured Priority Mail International package contains two mechanical watches (Schedule B item number 9101.11.0000), each of which is valued at $1,300, for a total value of $2,600. These two items are in the same Schedule B number, and the value of all items within the same Schedule B number is more than $2,500. Consequently, electronic filing and an ITN is required (unless an exemption applies).
3. Example 3: Person A sends two insured Priority Mail International packages to Person B on the same day. The first package contains one mechanical watch valued at $1,300, and the second package contains an identical watch, also valued at $1,300. The total value of goods within the same Schedule B number is $2,600, which is more than $2,500. Consequently, electronic filing and an ITN is required (unless an exemption applies).
2. The shipment is destined to Iran, Sudan, or Syria and does not qualify for the “foreign libraries” exemption described in 526.2d (for example, the shipment contains goods other than exempt items, or the shipment contains exempt items but is not being sent to a library or similar institution).
3. The shipment contains goods, is destined to Cuba or North Korea, and does not qualify for the exemption for shipments to foreign libraries (see 526.2d) or the exemption for gift parcels and humanitarian donations as defined by 15 CFR § 740.12.
4. The shipment qualifies as a “gift parcel or humanitarian donation” and is destined for the Crimea region of Ukraine, but requires a specific license from the Office of Foreign Assets Control. (See 510 for more information.)
5. The item requires an export license under U.S. law. (See 510, 530, 540, 560, and 590 for additional information.)
6. The item is authorized by an exemption under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, 22 CFR Parts 123-126. (See 540 for additional information.)
7. The shipment involves a party designated on the BIS Unverified List, which is available at bis.doc.gov/index.php/policy-guidance/lists-of-parties-of-concern/unverified-list.

Note: The countries in 524.21b and c are those identified in Country Groups E:1 and E:2 in the Export Administration Regulations, 15 CFR Part 740, Supplement No. 1.

524.22 How to File Electronic Export Information and Obtain an Internal Transaction Number (ITN)

To file electronic export information through the U.S. Census Bureau’s Automated Export System or AESDirect Web site and obtain an ITN, customers should use the following steps:

1. Go to aesdirect.census.gov.
2. Register for an AESDirect account or log into your existing account.
3. Follow the instructions for the Automated Export System Certification Quiz.
4. The “Port of Export” code for shipping through the Postal Service is “8000.”
5. The “Mode of Transport” is “Mail.”
6. Leave the carrier as “SCAC/IATA,” and leave the conveyance name fields blank.
7. After successfully filing electronic export information, AESDirect will provide an alphanumeric Internal Transaction Number (ITN) as confirmation. The ITN consists of the letters “AES” followed by the ITN: for example, “AES X20080930987654.”

Note: If the Automated Export System is down, call the U.S. Census Bureau’s toll-free information hotline at 800-549-0595, option 1. For additional information on electronic filing, use option 3.