AESDirect is the free web-based portal hosted by CBP for filing Electronic Export Information (EEI) into the Automated Export System (AES). Since AES's migration into ACE, AESDirect is accessed through the ACE Secure Data Portal using ACE credentials.
AESDirect is intended primarily for:
- Small and mid-size exporters without ABI-connected software
- Occasional exporters for whom dedicated EDI software is overkill
- USPPIs filing on their own behalf rather than through a freight forwarder
The portal accepts EEI filings through a structured web form, asking for the same 30+ data elements that ABI-filed EEIs require. Filers receive an Internal Transaction Number (ITN) upon successful filing — the 14-character "X" code that must appear on shipping documents and be presented at the port of export.
Limitations versus full ABI:
- No batch upload through the AESDirect web interface (high-volume filers go through ABI service providers)
- No automated downstream system integration
- Lower throughput per session
AESDirect has a "Weekly EEI" feature that allows exporters with regular routine shipments to file batch declarations rather than per-shipment.
Larger exporters typically use commercial EDI-based filing through service providers like Descartes, Integration Point, or QuestaWeb — but AESDirect remains the canonical free option and is the recommended starting point for exporters new to EEI compliance.