The EEI is an online form filed through the Automated Export System (AES) for goods exported from the U.S. It includes information about the shipment’s sender and receiver, the goods being exported, and the export control classification number (ECCN). The Census Bureau uses the information to calculate U.S. trade statistics, while Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) use the data to help ensure compliance with U.S. export regulations. In September 2020, the U.S. the Bureau of Industry and Security expanded the EEI to include exports intended for China (including Hong Kong), Russia, and Venezuela.
General EEI filing requirements
The EEI must be filed if any of the following apply:
● Any item in the shipment is valued at $2,500 or above (Shipments to Canada are exempt from this measure).
● The shipment contains merchandise that requires an export license or permit.
● The shipment includes self-propelled vehicles.
● “600 series” items, previously listed under the United States Munitions List (USML) are included in the shipment.
● The shipment includes military equipment intended for China, Russia, or Venezuela.
● The shipment contains rough diamonds classified under harmonized tariff schedules 7102.10, 7102.21, or 7102.31.
Exemptions from having to file an EEI
The most common instances of shipments not requiring an EEI are:
● (NO EEI 30.36): Shipments headed for Canada unless:
○ They are subject to ITAR control
○ Require an export license or permit
○ Contain rough diamonds
○ Are shipped via Canada en-route to an alternate final destination
● NO EEI 30.37(a): Shipments valued at $2,500 or less. (Per Schedule B classification for packages shipped from one USPPI (individual exporter or retail store) to a single buyer via a single carrier.
➔ This exemption is not valid if your shipment requires an export license or permit, includes used self-propelled vehicles, is subject to ITAR, contains
rough diamonds, or is intended for Iran, North Korea, Cuba, or Syria.
What do you do if your shipment is exempt from EEI filing?
An exemption from having to file an EEI through the AES is an instance in which you do not have to submit an EEI form in order to receive the 14-digit ITN. Instead of the ITN, you should enter the exemption’s section listed under the U.S. Foreign Trade Regulations list on the commercial invoice where the ITN would otherwise show up.
What do you, the shipper, need to do?
If you are exporting from the U.S. to China, Russia or Venezuela, you must determine the following export classification information for each item in your shipment and fill them out as part of the export license:
● The ECCN for each item
● Which Export License requirements apply
