How to Resolve Common AES Response Messages
August 24, 2026
Note: This message is sent to all AES Updates subscribers and is for educational purposes only.
When submitting your Electronic Export Information (EEI) to the Automated Export System (AES), you can receive different response messages: Fatal, Compliance, Verify, Informational and Warning. It is important that AES filers address and/or correct Response Messages as soon as they are received to comply with the Foreign Trade Regulations.
To help you take the appropriate action, here is guidance on how to address one of the most frequent Response Messages that was generated in the AES last month.
Response Code: 136
Narrative: PR to US Requires PR Port of Export
Severity: Fatal
Reason: The Country of Destination is reported as the Unites States and the Port of Export Code is not a Puerto Rican port.
Resolution: A Port of Export Code must be reported on shipments from Puerto Rico to the United States and it must be a Puerto Rican port.
See Appendix D, Export Port Codes for a list of acceptable Port of Export Codes.
Verify the Country of Ultimate Destination and Port of Export Code, correct the shipment and resubmit.
For a complete list of the AES Response Codes, their reasons and resolutions, see Appendix A – Commodity Filing Response Messages.
As a reminder, filers have multiple resources that they can use when filing EEI in the AES. You can access User Guides, Walk-through videos and other resources on our website.
Please contact the U.S. Census Bureau’s Trade Data Collection Branch for further information or questions.
Telephone: (800) 549-0595, select option 1 for AES
Email: askaes@census.gov
Online: www.census.gov/trade
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