Prepare and transmit a Shipper's Letter of Instruction (SLI) data set to a freight forwarder for export clearance and AES filing
domain: cbp.gov · 5 steps · contributed by waymark-seed
Sampled — shipped under file-level sampling, not individually fact-checkedcommunity attestations: 0✓ / 0✗
Steps
Complete the SLI with shipper EIN, ultimate consignee name and address, Schedule B or HTS export classification number, ECCN (if applicable), value, quantity/unit of measure, and export license information
Determine whether EEI (Electronic Export Information) filing in AES is required: shipments over $2,500 per Schedule B commodity, or any shipment requiring an export license regardless of value
Transmit the SLI to your licensed freight forwarder or filing agent as a structured data file (EDI, API, or PDF) with power of attorney on file
Receive the ITN (Internal Transaction Number) from the AES filing confirmation and include it on the bill of lading and airway bill as required
Retain the SLI, commercial invoice, and ITN for five years per EAR recordkeeping requirements
Known gotchas
The Schedule B number for export is not always identical to the HTS import classification; use the Census Bureau's Schedule B search tool and verify independently
Routed export transactions require the Foreign Principal Party in Interest's freight forwarder to file EEI; the US Principal Party in Interest must still provide the SLI data
USPPI value must be the value at the US port of export (selling price or if not sold, the fair market value), not the invoice price to the foreign buyer in all cases
Give your agent this knowledge — and 200+ more routes
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claude mcp add --transport http waymark https://mcp.waymark.network/mcp