[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 158 (Wednesday, August 14, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42312-42313]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-20713]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Customs Service


Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Commercial Invoices

AGENCY: U.S. Customs, Department of the Treasury.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and 
respondent burden, Customs invites the general public and other Federal 
agencies to comment on an information collection requirement concerning 
the Commercial Invoices. This request for comment is being made 
pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13; 44 
U.S.C. 3505(c)(2)).

DATES: Written comments should be received on or before October 15, 
1996, to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to U.S. Customs Service, 
Printing and Records Services Group, Room 6216, 1301 Constitution Ave., 
NW., Washington, DC 20229.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the form(s) and instructions should be directed to U.S. 
Customs Service, Attn.: J. Edgar Nichols, Room 6216, 1301 Constitution 
Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20229, Tel. (202) 927-1426.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The newly proposed International Trade Data 
System (ITDS) is being designed to integrate the different government 
trade and transportation data collection processes to provide a 
standard means of gathering, processing, storing, and disseminating 
import and export trade data. Agencies would share data as needed to 
support their individual agency mission while maintaining agency 
specific information in their own files. As envisioned, the system 
would provide for the electronic exchange of declarations, foreign and 
domestic issued licences and other documents required of trading 
parties based on commercial data. For example, it would allow for 
interagency notice of licensing and permitting decisions, and 
accommodate the decrementing of licenses, while allowing control of the 
license and permit issuing processes to be maintained by responsible 
agencies. To accommodate a constantly changing economic and 
geopolitical world, the system would be designed for flexibility and 
easy modification, so that new trade laws and regulations requirements 
would be more easily incorporated into the integrated data system. A 
very important part of the ITDS would be to provide a convenient entry 
point for business to provide international trade data to all agencies 
needing to be involved in a transaction. Importers and exporters would 
only have to provide the information once and it would be routed among 
the appropriate agencies. As an example: importers would not have to 
file identical information on a CF 7501 Form with Customs, an FDA Form 
701 with FDA, an HS7 Form with the Department of Transportation or an 
EPA 35201 Form with the Environmental Protection Agency. Names, 
addresses, descriptions, classifications, serial numbers would have to 
be provided only once and the information would be provided to all 
appropriate agencies. The data system would also standardize trade and 
transportation data for both imports and exports based on the 
information normally established among trading partners in the 
customary conduct of business. Such elements as commercial descriptions 
and quantifies, names and addresses of parties to shipments, and 
departure and arrival locations, all of which are part of normal 
commercial information would be defined so that they mean the same 
thing to all users.
    Standard definitions of terms, standard codes and abbreviations for 
countries, goods and conveyance modes and shipment identifiers would 
simplify procedures and help streamline processes. The system would use 
a recognized standard, such as United Nations/Electronic Data Interface 
for Administration, Commerce, and Transportation (UN/EDIFACT).
    Those additional data elements necessary for monitoring specific 
goods would be added to the commercial level record of the ITDS and 
made available to the applicable agency or agencies. By standardizing 
the data collected and by eliminating duplicate data, agencies would be 
able to integrate many of their present systems for selecting and 
targeting potentially violative shipments and thus provide more 
efficient and enforcement of trade statutes and regulations. Improved 
analysis of trade and transportation flow and trends would also enhance 
trade promotion

[[Page 42313]]

activities and provide a better basis for establishing and negotiating 
international trade policy. Aggregate level trade data would be 
available established distribution channels to U.S. businesses and the 
general public.
    The trade promotion component of the ITDS would provide information 
on both exporting and importing to the international trade community. 
By using the Department of Commerce's National Trade Data Bank, the 
system would provide user friendly electronic access to basic export 
and import information, market research reports, overseas contacts, 
duty rates, and information on international financial assistance. 
Reference materials such as U.S. Export Regulations, Customs 
Regulations, and an International Trade Terms Directory would be 
available online. A guide to U.S. agencies involved in international 
trade would also be available. Access to U.S. contacts at the Federal, 
State, and local levels including names, phone and fax numbers, and E-
mail address would be in the system. Most importantly, the public 
portions of the system would be readily available to the general public 
through the Internet, and from kiosks in world Trade Centers, Federal 
Building's, public libraries, and Customs Houses around the country.
    Proof of concept for the ITDS will be the North American Trade 
Prototype, a cargo and conveyance processing system being developed 
jointly by Canada, Mexico and the United States under the auspices of 
the Heads of customs Conference. Article 512 of NAFTA, entitled 
``Cooperation'', states that to the extent possible the three Parties 
shall cooperate, for the purpose of facilitation of the flow of trade, 
the harmonization of documentation, standardization of data elements, 
the acceptance of an international data syntax, and the exchange of 
information. This North American Trade Automation Prototype (NATAP) 
will allow the Customs, Transportation, and Immigration Services, and 
other participating government agencies of all three countries to 
experiment with advanced processing and documentation systems and 
incorporate new techniques to facilitate and regulate the flow of trade 
among the three countries. NATAP is based on commercial, transaction-
level information for all shipments, standard data elements and 
definitions, pre-arrival processing, Radio Frequency Identification 
Devices on conveyances to provide advance notice of arrival, paperless 
transactions, and UN/EDIFACT communication protocol.
    NATAP itself will be a low volume test of new concepts with a 
limited number of participants, operating at six sites. The sites are: 
Buffalo/Fort Erie, Detroit/Windsor, Laredo/Nuevo Laredo, El Paso/
Ciudad, Otay Mesa/Tijuana, and Nogales/Nogales. It will operate in 
parallel with current systems. Participants in the Prototype must 
continue to meet all current requirements. NATAP will allow the three 
Custom administrations to step outside existing systems and experiment 
with new procedures and technologies to realize the goals and vision of 
NAFTA. Although NATAP will be limited in scope, the concepts that will 
be tested are a reflection of the full scale data system envisioned.
    NATAP will encompass the transportation and commercial data for 
export and import processes in the land border environment. The extent 
to which each government extends the functionality of the Prototype for 
testing other agency requirements or to experiment with national risk 
assessment or selectivity processing system will be determined by each 
Customs authority. NATAP will be tested and evaluated at the above 
mentioned sites beginning in September, 1996 and is expected to run 
through March, 1997.
    Customs invites the general public and other Federal agencies to 
comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections pursuant 
to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13; 44 U.S.C. 
3505(c)(2)). The comments should address using commercial documents as 
the basis for processing the port clearance of international trade 
transactions at the border; the accuracy of the burden estimates in 
terms of reporting and record keeping and capitalization costs, if any; 
and ways to minimize the burden including the use of automated 
collection techniques or the use of other forms of information 
technology, as well as other relevant aspects of the information 
collection.
    The comments that are submitted will be summarized and included in 
the Customs request for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval. 
All comments will become a matter of public record. In this document 
Customs is soliciting comments concerning the following information 
collection:
    Title: Commercial Invoices.
    OMB Number: 1515-0120.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Abstract: The collection of Commercial Invoices is necessary for 
the proper assessment of Customs duties. The information which is 
supplied by the foreign shipper is used to assure compliance with 
statues and regulations.
    Current Actions: There are no changes to the information 
collection. This submission is being submitted to extend the expiration 
date.
    Type of Review: Extension (without change).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit institutions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 350,000.
    Estimated Time Per Respondent: 10 seconds.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 84,000.
    Estimated Total Annualized Cost on the Public: $1,201,200.00.

    Dated: August 9, 1996.
V. Carol Barr,
Printing and Records Services Group.
[FR Doc. 96-20713 Filed 8-13-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4820-02-P