Is this new? From the CBP website:

Current export regulations issued by the Department of State require travelers to file Electronic Export Information (EEI) for temporary export of personally owned firearms via the Automated Export System (AES) prior to departure from the United States.

All I've ever had to do previously is get my rifles identified on a Form 4457. What is "Electronic Export Information" and the "Automated Export System" and where does one access them or it?

Two thoughts immediately come to mind...

First, does this replace the 4457? And, if it does, what do we use for foreign countries when they want proof of a ‘license’ from the USA. IIRC, I submitted a 4457 as part of my firearms permit application on Emirates recently; as well as for my firearms import permit in Zambia.

Second, I’ve always thought that one of the benefits of the 4457 is that there is no permanent record on file. Going electronic will create that permanent record, which is another sort of registration of our guns.

If this is in fact the new way of dealing with taking our guns out of the USA, I don’t like it on several levels.

This came up in April of 2015 and there is an exemption for traveling with 3 or fewer firearms and 1000 or less rounds. Check out https://www.ice.gov/cpi/faq for a series of questions that can help you figure out if you need the EEI. Most hunters will be exempt.

Thanks for that link, Dr. Scott. However, in the FAQ's it seems to say that you need to go through the "AES" and "EEI" even if you are carrying three or fewer guns:

22 C.F.R. § 123.17 allows U.S. persons to export temporarily from the United States without a license not more than three (3) nonautomatic/semi-automatic firearms in Category I(a) of the United States Munitions List (rifles and pistols up to .50 caliber ) and not more than 1,000 cartridges therefor, provided that:

The person declares the articles to a CBP officer upon each departure from the United States, presents the Internal Transaction Number (ITN) from submission of the Electronic Export Information (EEI) in the Automated Export System (AES) per 22 C.F.R. § 123.22, and the articles are presented to the CBP officer for inspection;