Shippers get taste of AES at Charleston
US Customs' new Automated Export System (AES) has been introduced to freight forwarders and steamship lines at the Port of Charleston.
The port, US Customs, the US Census Bureau, and Sea-Land Service have worked together to create AES which will automate the filing of Shippers' Export Declarations (SED), also known in the industry as ''export decs''.
''Computer-based filing of SEDs will enhance overall export operations much as ORION and the Automated Manifest System have expedited cargo clearance,'' said Dana Streets, senior systems analyst at the Port of Charleston.
''Filing an SED will give the port advanced information on incoming export cargo which will allow for better cargo management on the port's terminals. Containers and cargoes can be centrally located prior to a ship's arrival and special equipment and handling requirements can also by relayed in advance.'' Through the port's ORION system, freight forwarders and steamship lines will have access to AES, which has been under development for just over a year, for automated filing of SEDs.
The single filing of an SED will satisfy the export documentation requirements of Customs, Census, and the State Department.
AES, which is in its production phase, will be fully operational from today and will be accessible to any ORION subscriber.
