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Origin and trade agreements

US export documents: EEI, the ITN and the papers that travel

When a US export needs EEI filed in AES, the $2,500 per Schedule B rule and its exemptions, the ITN on the waybill, and the invoice, origin and license papers.

Updated · 7 official sources

A US export needs Electronic Export Information (EEI) filed in the Automated Export System (AES) when any one Schedule B number in the shipment is worth more than $2,500, or when the goods need a license or fall in another always-file category. Everything else ships with an exemption legend, such as NOEEI § 30.37(a), on the waybill instead.

Rules as of 30 October 2026.

EEI is the export data the US Principal Party in Interest (USPPI), usually the seller, or its authorized agent files in AES under the Census Bureau's Foreign Trade Regulations (15 CFR part 30). AES answers an accepted filing with an Internal Transaction Number (ITN), the proof of filing that goes to the carrier.

When is EEI required?#

EEI is required for every export of physical goods from the US unless an exemption applies, including goods sold online. The most used exemption covers any Schedule B number worth $2,500 or less, and shipments to Canada are exempt too, but neither exemption applies to licensed goods and the other always-file cases.

Shipment EEI?
Every Schedule B number worth $2,500 or less, no license needed No: NOEEI § 30.37(a)
To Canada, no license needed, not stored there for or passing through to another country No: NOEEI § 30.36
Any Schedule B number over $2,500 Yes, for that line
Goods needing a BIS, ITAR, DEA, NRC or other agency license, or ITAR goods even when license-exempt Yes, at any value
Items subject to the EAR to a Country Group E:1 or E:2 destination Yes, at any value
Commerce Control List items to China, Russia or Venezuela Yes, at any value, with narrow exceptions
A party to the export on BIS's Unverified List Yes, at any value
Rough diamonds, used self-propelled vehicles Yes, at any value

The Census Bureau can also call in shipments that are normally exempt.

How does the $2,500 per Schedule B rule work?#

The $2,500 rule counts value per Schedule B (or HTS) number, for shipments from one USPPI to one consignee on one exporting conveyance, regardless of the shipment's total value. Items under the same number are added up, and goods of US and foreign origin under the same number are reported separately and tested separately.

Here is how that plays out on one shipment to a single consignee:

Lines under one Schedule B number EEI?
$1,500 of US-made goods and $1,400 of foreign-made goods No: each origin is under $2,500, though together they are $2,900
$2,600 of US-made goods and $100 of foreign-made goods Yes, for the US-made line
Three lines of the same US-made goods at $900 each Yes: $2,700 under one number

Within a filed shipment, only the numbers over $2,500 have to be reported.

When is EEI due and what goes on the waybill?#

EEI is due before export, by a deadline set for each mode, unless the USPPI is approved for postdeparture filing. The carrier needs the proof of filing citation, built from the ITN, or the exemption legend before the deadline, and it goes on the first page of the bill of lading, air waybill or other loading document.

Mode EEI filed and citation given to the carrier
Vessel 24 hours before the cargo is loaded
Air, including air express couriers 2 hours before scheduled departure
Truck, including express couriers by road 1 hour before the truck reaches the border
Rail 2 hours before the train reaches the border
Mail 2 hours before export, given to the Postal Service
Other modes 2 hours before export
The citation formats in Appendix B of part 30
Citation Format
Proof of filing AES followed by the ITN, for example AES X20170101987654
Low-value exemption NOEEI § 30.37(a)
Canada exemption NOEEI § 30.36
AES downtime AESDOWN, the filer ID and the export date

For mail, USPS needs the ITN or AES Downtime citation before mailing whenever goods under one Schedule B number sent by one sender to one addressee on the same day are worth more than $2,500, or need a license. Approved USPPIs filing postdeparture have five calendar days after export, except for shipments that must be filed in advance.

What other documents go with a US export?#

A US export usually travels with a commercial invoice for the destination's customs, a bill of lading or air waybill, any license the goods need, and a proof of origin when the buyer will claim a trade agreement. The EEI itself stays electronic; only its citation is printed on the paperwork.

Late or wrong filings carry civil penalties: 15 CFR 30.71 sets civil penalties of up to $1,100 a day, capped at $10,000 per violation, for late filing, and up to $10,000 per violation for false or misleading information and other violations, with all amounts adjusted for inflation each year.

Common questions#

What is an ITN?#

The Internal Transaction Number AES returns when it accepts an EEI filing. It is written on the waybill as AES followed by the number, for example AES X20170101987654.

What does NOEEI § 30.37(a) mean?#

That no EEI was filed because every Schedule B number in the shipment is worth $2,500 or less and no license or always-file rule applies.

Do I need to file EEI for a parcel sent by USPS?#

Yes, when goods under one Schedule B number to one addressee on the same day are worth more than $2,500, or when the goods need a license. Give the ITN to USPS before mailing.

Sources#