[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 162 (Monday, August 21, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50674-50675]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-21144]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    DOC has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
clearance the following proposal for collection of information under 
the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).
    Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.
    Title: Shipper's Export Declaration (SED) Program.
    Form Number(s): 7525-V, Automated Export System (AES).
    Agency Approval Number: 0607-0152.

[[Page 50675]]

    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Burden: 1,284,949 hours.
    Number of Respondents: 200,000.
    Avg. Hours Per Response: 7572-V=11 minutes; AES=3 minutes.
    Needs and Uses: The Census Bureau requests OMB clearance of the 
paper and electronic forms it uses in the Shipper's Export Declaration 
(SED) Program. We are requesting clearance only for the Form 7525-V, 
``Shipper's Export Declaration'' and the Automated Export System (AES). 
Sponsorship of Form 7513, ``Shipper's Export Declaration (SED) for In-
Transit Goods'' is being transferred to the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers and they will be submitting a clearance request for that 
form. The Automated Export Reporting Program (AERP) was terminated in 
December of 1999 and users of that system are currently reporting 
through the AES or the paper SED. We are also eliminating the Form 
7525-V-Alternate (Intermodal) as a shipper's export reporting document.
    Further, we are proposing changes to Form 7525-V that will 
primarily serve to: (1) Delete unused or outdated data fields; (2) 
update the forms with current Federal Government agency names; (3) make 
the data elements on the paper SED consistent with the data elements on 
the AES record; and (4) make revisions consistent with the provisions 
of the Census Bureau's final rule on Exporter (U.S. Principal Party In 
Interest (USPPI)) and Forwarding or other Agent responsibilities in 
preparing the SED or AES record.
    The Census Bureau has determined that making the changes described 
above to the Form 7525-V-Alternate (Intermodal) would result in making 
that Form incompatible with the ocean bill of lading, with which it was 
intended to align, thereby negating its utility to the vessel exporting 
community. A Form 7525-V or electronic AES record may be completed in 
its place.
    The Census Bureau will allow the trade community a grace period of 
180 days (April 1, 2001) to deplete their stock of current SED forms. 
The Census Bureau encourages the trade community to begin using the 
revised Form 7525-V as of October 1, 2000. However, during the grace 
period the Census Bureau will allow use of both the old and revised 
Form 7525-V and Form 7525-V-Alternate (Intermodal). As of April 1, 
2001, only Form 7525-V and the AES will be accepted by the U.S. Customs 
Service and the Census Bureau as a means of reporting shipper's export 
declaration information.
    The Foreign Trade Division (FTD), Census Bureau, is also intending 
to facilitate the submission of SED information by providing the trade 
community with a software package, free of charge, that will allow the 
trade community to input SED information and submit it electronically 
through AESDirect. The Census Bureau will inform the trade community 
through the FTD website and AES newsletter, as to when this software 
will be available. The Census Bureau will also inform the trade 
community of the grace period through periodic updates on the FTD 
website.
    The SED form and the AES electronic equivalent are the means by 
which the Census Bureau collects and compiles U.S. trade statistics. 
The official export statistics provide a basic component for the 
compilation of the U.S. position on merchandise trade. These data are 
an essential component of the monthly totals on International U.S. 
Trade in Goods and Services, a leading economic indicator and primary 
component of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
    Form 7525-V and the AES record also provide information for export 
control purposes. This information is used to detect and prevent the 
export of certain commodities (for example, high technology or 
military) to unauthorized destinations or end users.
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit organizations.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, U.S.C., Chapter 9, Sections 301-307; 
Title 15, CFR, Part 30 ``Foreign Trade Statistics Regulations.''
    OMB Desk Officer: Susan Schechter, (202) 395-5103.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Linda Engelmeier, DOC Forms Clearance Officer, 
(202) 482-3129, Department of Commerce, room 6086, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at 
[email protected]).
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to Susan Schechter, OMB Desk Officer, room 10201, New Executive Office 
Building, Washington, DC 20503.

    Dated: August 15, 2000.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 00-21144 Filed 8-18-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P