U.S. CENSUS BUREAU ENHANCES ONLINE AES SYSTEM

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU ENHANCES ONLINE AES SYSTEM    The U.S. Census Bureau has released the latest enhancement to its free Internet link to the Automated Export System.
   AES was developed several years ago by Census and Customs to allow exporters or their forwarders to file export commodity and transport data electronically. In October, Census rolled out its Internet link to the system, called AESDirect.
   Over 1,600 companies are registered to use AESDirect, and more are expected to sign up with the Aug. 3 deadline to end the industry practice of faxing shipper’s export declarations.
   “We intend to improve the system with enhancements to make it even more effective for the U.S. export trade community,” said Charles A. Woods, assistant division chief for data collection at Census’ Foreign Trade Division.
   To eliminate double-keying of data in the Internet environment, Flagship Customs Services, the contracted developer of AESDirect, has created an application, called AESWebLink, to enable users of Internet and desktop Windows applications to pass their export data freely into AESDirect.
   “AESWebLink is a perfect example of how to use the interoperability and pervasiveness of the Internet, and is a groundbreaking example of how to use the Internet to deliver first class B2G (business-to-government) application services,” said C. Harvey Monk, Jr., chief of the Foreign Trade Division at Census.
   Two companies have already certified their Internet applications as AESWebLink compliant. An additional 20 companies have applied to have their systems certified, said Robert Foley, president of Flagship Customs Services.