International Shipping Companies – In Depth: Shipper’s Export Declaration (Part 4)

International Shipping Companies – In Depth: Shipper’s Export Declaration (Part 4)

There are many ways to ship a Lexus overseas (about as many for shipping an Audi internationally), but one thing all of these shipments have in common is that your vehicle won’t ever leave the United States without obtaining an AES ITN (that’s Automated Export System Internal Transaction Number, for the laypeople out there). If you definitely want to ship a Mercedes to Saudi Arabia, you need to file a Shipper’s Export Declaration to get that AES ITN. K International Transport is able to file this on your behalf, taking the burden of export customs compliance of your shoulders.


In this final segment, I will cover the “Commodity Information” section of the Shipper’s Export Declaration. There are sections I have not covered, but they are generally optional or not applicable to most shipments our customers send. 

  • Commodity Information – This section is going to be comprised of various information about what it is your are shipping.
    • Schedule B number
      • Schedule B numbers are the classification system used by the United States government to categorize exports for census statistics. These numbers are based upon the broader Harmonized System that is an internationally standard system that also lends itself to United States Harmonized Tariff Schedule used by the U.S. for determining import duties. Identical goods should have identical Schedule B and Harmonized Schedule numbers only up to 6 digits (Schedule B numbers have 10 digits)
      • If you are unsure of what number to use, K International is happy to advise the correct one
    • Qty (only for some Schedule B numbers)
      • For every schedule B number that requires a quantity, the quantity used is generally the one used by the industry dealing in that commodity. Common quantity types include net kilograms (56 kgs), number of units (2 Airplanes), and liters (6 liters of Vanilla Flavoring).
    • Gross Weight
    • Commercial Value
    • Origin (F – Foreign, D – Domestic)
      • This can be tricky to determine at times, especially when a product is assembled in one country, but from parts manufactured in many others.
    • License code
      • For some types of commodities the Bureau of Industry and Security require specific licenses to be obtained prior to export. To this end, depending on the type of goods, an Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) and Export License Number may be required as well.
    • Used Vehicle? Y/N
      • If the answer to this is yes, then one must also enter the VIN # (or product ID where applicable), Title Number and State that issued Title
This concludes the run-down of commonly required information for the Shipper’s Export Declaration. However, in certain cases more extensive information is required, which is why K International Transport is available to file the Shipper’s Export Declaration on your behalf, and prevent any costly mistakes in compliance.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with an inquiry or any questions by emailing inquiries@kinternational.com, calling us at (212) 267-6400 or find us on skype at kinternationalny. In order to find other entries in this series, just click the label “Shipper’s Export Declaration” immediately below this entry.