Census' October 2009 AES Newsletter Covers Broker/Forwarder as USPPI, Verify Messages, Etc.
The Census Bureau has posted to its Web site the October 2009 issue of its Automated Export System Newsletter. Highlights include:
Instances When a U.S. Customs Broker or Freight Forwarder is the USPPI
Census addresses the question of when can a Customs Broker be listed as the U.S. Principal Party in Interest (USPPI) on an Electronic Export Information (EEI) record. Census notes that there are instances where goods come from a foreign country, enter into the U.S., and are then exported to another country. The CBP Form 7501 is completed for goods being formally imported, and when required, the EEI is prepared for the goods when exported. For cases where there is no U.S. owner, purchaser, or primary beneficiary to the export transaction, the customs broker or freight forwarder must be reported as the USPPI.
- CFR 30.3 states that when goods enter into the U.S. for immediate consumption or warehousing entry and are subsequently exported without change or enhancement, the customs broker or freight forwarder can be listed as the USPPI. A customs broker or freight forwarder is reported as the USPPI if either is listed as the importer of record on CBP Form 7501 or if the customs broker or freight forwarder enters the goods into the U.S. on behalf of the foreign importer. In cases where the customs broker or freight forwarder is identified as the USPPI, but is not the party completing the AES record, it must provide the information specified in 15 CFR 30.3 to the party completing the EEI.
Meaning of AES Verify Messages
According to Census, AES Verify Messages are sent when a filer has transmitted information about a specific commodity code that falls outside of the normal Census parameters for said code. In other words, a filer has submitted something that the system did not expect to receive. There are 44 different kinds of Verify Messages, and each one is described in detail in Appendix A of the Automated Export System Trade Interface Requirements (AESTIR).
When a filer receives any of the Verify Messages that are generated by the AES, the best course of action is to read the message and confirm that the information submitted (specifically what the Verify Message references) is correct.
8H1 is one of most common Verify Messages. Census notes that one of the most commonly received Verify Messages is Message 8H1, "Value/Quantity 1 Out of Range-High." This message serves as an alert that the ratio of the value reported and the quantity reported falls outside of the expected range for that commodity code. When this Verify Message is received, the filer should look at the AES filing submitted, go to the Commodity section, and verify that the value and quantity that was reported are accurate.
Census reminds filers that another way to address Verify Messages received on a regular basis is to submit a Parameter Change Request. A company may submit a Parameter Change Request when it has at least five internal transaction numbers (ITNs) that have generated the same Verify Messages for the same commodity code.
Other Issues in the October Newsletter
Census also discusses several other areas of AES in its October 2009 newsletter, including:
Elimination of the Social Security Number from AES (See ITT's Online Archives or 09/16/09 news, 09091625, for most recent BP summary on this issue.)
New AES publication will include trade articles from various government agencies in 2010
Looking for an Export Control Classification Number (ECCN)
Kimberly Process Certificate AES filing requirements
Shipments destined to Puerto Rico through the U.S.
Availability of the latest version of A Basic Guide to Exporting
AES webinars, seminars, and workshops
AES contact information
Census October 2009 newsletter available at http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/aes/aesnewsletter092009.pdf.