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Internal Transaction Number (ITN) Explained

The ITN (Internal Transaction Number) is the confirmation that an exporter receives to send products to international destinations from the United States. In other words, it’s the passport for your export shipment. Read more about international shipments and electronic export information (EEI) here.

According to the US Census Bureau:

The ITN (Internal Transaction Number) is a confirmation number that proves a shipment has been accepted by AES. This number is unique for every shipment and must be provided to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the port of export. Exporters must cite the ITN on the first page of the bill of lading, air waybill, and/or other commercial loading documents.

What does an ITN look like?

ITNs always begin with the letter X and include the year, month, and day that the EEI was accepted, followed by a 6-digit random number. 

An example of an ITN filed on January 1, 2023 could be X20230101777777.

Does your package require an ITN?

Your shipment will require an ITN if any of the following conditions are met:

  • The goods in the package have a sum value of more than $2,500 (based on value as measured for all goods within the same Schedule B number).
  • An export license is required for the item under U.S. law.
  • The package has a destination of Iran or Syria (unless it qualifies for the “foreign libraries” exemption).
  • The shipment does not qualify as a humanitarian donation and has a destination of Cuba or North Korea.

Most international packages require an ITN, but as you can see above, there are some exemptions to be aware of.

How do you get an ITN?

Luckily, there are no extra steps to getting an ITN beyond having your Electronic Export Information accepted by the Automated Export System (AES). Once your EEI is filed, the AES provides an ITN as a confirmation number that shows up on the AESDirect filing summary screen.

Of course, Ship/FX supports the entry of the ITN number. Ship/FX is a multi-carrier shipping solution which offers a wide range of features to streamline and automate shipping processes. Take your international shipping to the next level.

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