U.S. Shipper's Export Declaration (SED) in Shipping Goods from the USA abroad

SED is the acronym for U.S. Shipper's Export Declarations.

According to U.S. Customs regulations, all export shipments transporting from the USA overseas MUST be declared to U.S. Customs and Border Protection at ace.cbp.dhs.gov

To comply with the U.S. Customs export regulation, international cargo transportation companies enforce the condition on all cargo shipping from the USA: NO DOCS-NO LOAD.

I.e., presentation of required shipping documents on any cargo shipping from the USA, INCLUDING proof of SED Filing (ITN) or AES Exemption Legend, must be submitted to international cargo transportation companies no later than in 72 hours prior the release on shipping from the USA.

Sea freight shipments without SED (if not an exempt) CANNOT be released to the shipping from the USA, subject to withhold and penalties related to lack of providing of proper export documentation.

Typical Exempts from filing SED on shipping freight from USA (most common):

Shipping from USA goods of total value declared less than US $2,500.00.
Domestic shipments (to Hawaii for example). However, SEDs are required for shipping between the USA and Puerto Rico as well as between the USA and the Virgin Islands of the United States.

How to file SED?

Our online booking form provides options on filing SED:

Shippers may file SED online in ace.cbp.dhs.gov on their own. Then we must receive ITN before cargo being delivered to the freight carrier's shipping terminal for the shipping from the USA.
Otherwise, we may file SED on shippers behalf based on the commodity description provided in international shipping documents for the fee $35.00 up to TWO Harmonized Tariff numbers. $15.00 per Harmonized Tariff number after that.

If you are requesting us to file SED on your behalf, then to do so we must have from you at least:

A valued packing list or commercial invoice on your shipping from the USA, which contains: commodity description (1), a value of your international shipment in USD (2), estimated weight, (3). Note that with us, shippers may submit these shipping documents online. Link to submit these documents on shipping goods from the USA will be provided in our email with international shipping instructions. You may want to try this simple form online to submit your valued packing list or proforma commercial invoice.
U.S. federal tax ID (EIN) or, for not U.S. Citizens, a copy of consigner's (shopper's) foreign passport.

How to obtain EIN for SED filing in purpose to transport freight from the USA overseas?

IMPORTANT NOTE FROM U.S. CUSTOMS: As on December 3, 2009, U.S. Social Security Numbers (SSN) will not be accepted as a valid USPPI ID:

According to the U.S. Census Bureau / U.S. Customs and Border Protection regulation and per the Foreign Trade Regulations (FTR), Social Security Numbers (SSN) will not be accepted as a valid USPPI ID as of December 3, 2009. Any Authorized Agent that files on behalf of customers using an SSN as the USPPI ID need to notify their customers that they need to obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN). USPPIs can obtain an EIN by visiting www.irs.gov and selecting "Employer ID Numbers (EIN)".

We found that some of our customers that do not have an EIN, obtain an EIN for their international shipping from the USA online at irs.gov by requesting EIN as for Sole Proprietors in purpose …to satisfy banking requirements or local law.