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On November 18, 2013, the Bureau of Census issued AES Broadcast #2013096 [not yet available on its website] which discusses what is required to ship charity goods to the Philippines which was hit on November 8, 2013, by a super typhoon.
In order to facilitate the movement of food, water, medicines, and other supplies, donated by US organizations and the following guidance is offered and applies to goods not requiring a license, such as food, clothing, and medicines. There are four Schedule B numbers that can be used when exporting humanitarian goods. Those numbers are found in Chapter 98 of the Schedule B Manual, under the subheading 9802. No Unit of measurement is required to be shown for any of these: Schedule B Description Any commodity valued over $2,500 per Schedule B number or that requires a license must be filed in the Automated Export System (AES). However, if the commodity is valued less than $2,500 per Schedule B number and does not require a license, then the low value exemption (NOEEI 30.37 (a)) can be used. In this case, food, clothing and medicines do not require a license; however, medical equipment and tools may require an export license. The Export Information Code to be reported is “CH” or “CI” for shipments of goods donated for relief or charity. The value to be reported is the market value. If the value is not known, estimate how much you would receive if you sold the goods. The value should be consistent with the goods being exported, to avoid confusion and possible delays with the US Customs and Border Protection officer at the port of export. Census points out that there are different ways to file export information. The most common is to report through the US Census Bureau’s free Internet based filing system called AESDirect . Another option is to file with a forwarder or agent who may be more familiar with export licensing and regulations. The Census Bureau states that its staff is available to help make the process as smooth as possible. Census may be contacted at 1-800-549-0595. Select Option 1 for help with the AES, Option 2 for Classifications, and Option 3 for Regulations. You can also send Census an e-mail at: askaes@census.gov or FTDregs@census.gov. |
