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UPDATE - New Automated Export System (AES) Response Message—14A Fatal Error
October 22, 2026
To improve compliance with the Foreign Trade Regulations, the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Customs and Border Protection will introduce a new fatal error message to address inaccurate foreign Port of Unlading reporting under Section 30.6(b)(4). In alignment with this new response message, the Automated Export System Trade Interface Requirements Proprietary Format for Port of Unlading requirements will remain '5AN' to allow for space fill when required.
The new response message will be available in the AES Certification testing environment on October 22, 2026, and in Production on November 19, 2026.
For foreign shipments requiring a Port of Unlading, AES will accept only the 5-digit codes issued by the Army Corps of Engineers in Schedule K. Shipments between the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands must use valid 4-digit codes found in Schedule D.
Response Code: 14A
Narrative Text: FOREIGN PORT OF UNLADING MUST BE 5-DIGIT
Severity: FATAL
Reason: The Port of Unlading Code is not an acceptable value in AES.
Resolution: For shipments from the US or Puerto Rico to a foreign country, the Port of Unlading Code must be a numeric 5-digit code, and found in ‘Schedule K, Classification of Foreign Ports by Geographic Trade Area and Country’. ‘Appendix Z, Additional Information Sources’ provides the Web site for Army Corps of Engineers responsible for Schedule K. Verify the Port of Unlading Code, correct and retransmit.
For a full listing of AES Response Codes, please visit Appendix A of the Automated Export System Trade Interface Requirements (AESTIR).
If additional clarification is needed on this topic, please contact the Census Bureau’s Trade Data Collection Branch at (800) 549-0595, Option 1, or by email at askaes@census.gov.
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