[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 196 (Tuesday, October 12, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55337-55338]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-26305]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: International Trade Data System Project Office, Treasury.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and 
respondent burden and in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3505(c)(2)(A)), the Department of 
the Treasury invites the general public and other Federal agencies to 
comment on continuation of this information collection. Specifically, 
the International Trade Data System (ITDS) Project Office within the 
Department of the Treasury is soliciting comments concerning the 
migration of the ITDS, using the lessons learned in the North American 
Trade Automation Prototype (NATAP), to an operational pilot.

DATES: Written comments should be received on or before December 13, 
1999 to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to The Department of the 
Treasury, International Trade Data Systems Project Office, Attn: 
William Nolle, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 4000, Washington, DC 
20229, Telephone (202) 216-2760.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the instructions should be directed to The Department of the 
Treasury, International Trade Data Systems Project Office, Attn.: 
William Nolle, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 4000, Washington, DC 
20229, Telephone (202) 216-2760. Information concerning the ITDS can 
also be obtained at the following Web Site: http//www.itds.treas.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: The International Trade Data System (formerly North American 
Trade Automation Prototype).
    OMB Number: 1505-0162.
    Abstract: After extensive consultation with the trade community in 
Canada, Mexico, and the United States, the NAFTA Information Exchange 
and Automation Working Group developed the North American Trade 
Automation Prototype (NATAP). Mandated by Article 512 of the NAFTA, 
NATAP was developed by the three countries to experiment with 
standardized data, advanced automation technologies, communications, 
and encryption designed to reduce costs and improve trade among the 
three NAFTA countries. The NATAP also served as a proof of concept for 
many attributes for the International Trade Data System (ITDS) as 
defined in the National Performance Review (NPR) under initiative ``IT 
06'' and as noted in the ``Access America'' NPR report ``A09'' in which 
the Vice President designated NATAP to validate the International Trade 
Data System concept. In addition, NATAP incorporated encryption and 
privacy as noted in NPR initiative ``IT10.''
    First, the ITDS, which will be totally electronic and incorporate 
elements of electronic commerce into government business, seeks OMB 
approval for the project to move forward from the prototype environment 
through a pilot collection phase, under OMB Control Number 1505-0162, 
to:
     ``Minimize the cost to the Federal Government of the 
creation, collection, maintenance, use, dissemination, and disposition 
of international trade information.'' (35 U.S.C. 3501(1), (2), and 
(5));
     ``Ensure the integrity, quality, and utility of the 
Federal statistical system relating to international trade.'' (35 
U.S.C. 3501(9));
     ``Ensure information technology is acquired, used, and 
managed to improve performance of agency missions, including the 
reduction of information collection burdens on the public.''(35 U.S.C. 
3501(10);
     ``Maximize practical utility, and eliminate unnecessary 
duplication of existing collections.'' (Vice President Gore 
Implementation Memorandum, September 15, 1995);
     ``Minimize Federal paperwork burden on respondents and the 
cost of the collection to multiple agencies.'' (Vice President Gore 
Implementation Memorandum, September 15, 1995);
     ``Ensure the greatest possible public benefit from and 
maximize the utility of information created, collected, maintained, 
used, shared and disseminated by or for the Federal Government as 
contained in the National Performance Review study IT-06.'' (Also cited 
in Access America, Reengineering Through Information Technology, the 
National Performance Review, 3 February 1997, Government Printing 
Office.); and
     Simplify the international trade process, especially to 
open international export trade to those small-to-medium size U.S. 
companies who are not trading internationally because they are 
intimidated by the complex and confusing trade process that currently 
exists.
    Second, as each collection agreement is established between a 
Federal agency/branch and the ITDS, it is proposed that authority will 
be requested from OMB in accordance with the PRA as follows: 1) unless 
exempted, all agency collections of information are subject to OMB 
review and approval regardless of the collection media or collection 
technique (44 U.S.C. 3502(3); 5 CFR 1320.3(c)(1); 60 Federal Register 
44978-79 (August 29, 1995): 2) if two or more agencies are obtaining 
the same information from the same respondents, the agencies should 
agree among themselves which agency will act as the collecting agent 
for all of them; and 3) OMB may designate one of the agencies to be the 
collecting agency (44 U.S.C. 3509 and 3510). In that regard, the ITDS 
is the result of multi-agency cooperation under the auspices of the 
National Performance Review and is designed as a system that works 
across all functional areas regarding international trade data 
collection, processing, use, and storage.
    Eliminate Unnecessary Redundant Data Collection--The ITDS project 
represents a significant stride to develop a system for all of the 
Federal agencies that collect, process, use, disseminate information on 
international trade, and it eliminates unnecessary duplication of data 
collections from the public. For example, analyses conducted by the 
ITDS office and matched against OMB records indicate that for public 
data collection approved by the OMB for international trade 
information, nearly 90% of the data provided to Federal trade agencies 
are redundant.
    If the pilot proves successful and is approved for implementation, 
as agencies are linked into the ITDS, the Federal government will be 
better able to meet the Paperwork Reduction Act objective to eliminate 
``unnecessary duplication'' meaning that information similar to or 
corresponding to information that could serve the agency's purpose and 
need is already accessible to the agency.
    Data standardization and elimination of hundreds of forms for data 
collections currently approved by the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs in the Office of Management and Budget is central to 
information exchange in the ITDS and provides better government to

[[Page 55338]]

the American people and trade community. Data standardization within 
the ITDS will bring down barriers between information systems and 
reduce data collection costs.
    Pilot Strategy--The strategy for the ITDS pilot is based on phased 
development and inter-agency involvement in identifying resource needs, 
identified to the inter-agency Board of Directors. The ITDS will test 
each information collection through a pilot program (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(1)(A)(v); 5 CFR 1320.8(a)(6)). The ITDS office through 
Memoranda of Understandings will establish pilot collections.
    Reduced Burden--A goal of the ITDS is to reduce unnecessary 
paperwork burden on the American business community. As the ITDS 
evolves from pilot to implementation, burden on U.S. businesses will be 
greatly reduced; both because of the removal of unnecessary duplication 
but also because the ITDS will to the extent possible utilize 
information that businesses use in the course of their activities.
    Data Security--In the process of assuring protection for 
confidentiality, the ITDS and agencies will certify that steps will be 
taken to safeguard the integrity of and the confidentiality of 
information collected (5 CFR 1320.5(d)(2)(viii).
    Current Actions: This is a request to permit the United States 
Treasury Department along with the Federal agencies participating in 
the ITDS to collect the data for these pilots for a one year period. 
Volunteers will be sought to participate in the ITDS pilot in order to 
provide traders with the opportunity to experiment with the advanced 
technologies and procedures with minimal expense. Through their 
evaluation of ITDS, they will have input into future trade processes, 
requirements and the design, development, and deployment of the ITDS.
    Type of Review: Extension.
    Affected Public: Importers, exporters, customs house brokers, and 
carriers who volunteer to participate in ITDS.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: There are approximately 120 U.S. 
participants.
    Estimated Time per Respondents: Each response will not exceed 3.5 
minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 0 (No additional burden hours 
required. Pilot removes the need for parallel processing as stated in 
original notice of November 25, 1996. Pilot replaces burden hours for 
Customs document CF 3461-ALT 1515-0069.)
    Request for Comments: Comments submitted in response to this notice 
will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval. All 
comments will become a matter of public record. Comments are invited 
on: (a) evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the function of the agency, 
including whether the information and the prototype will have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of this information to be collected; (d) ways to minimize 
the burden of information on respondents, including the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology; (e) estimates of capital start-up costs and costs of 
operation, maintenance, and purchase of services to provide 
information.

    Dated: October 4, 1999.
William L. Nolle,
International Trade Specialist, International Trade Data System Project 
Office.
[FR Doc. 99-26305 Filed 10-8-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-25-P