[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 224 (Friday, November 20, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72686-72688]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-29722]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-821-802]


International Trade Data System Test Concerning the Electronic 
Submission of Certain Documentation Required for Imports of Uranium 
From the Russian Federation Using the Document Imaging System

AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, 
Department of Commerce.

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Commerce) announces, in 
coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a test of 
the International Trade Data System (ITDS) involving the electronic 
submission to CBP of forms and certifications related to importation of 
uranium products from the Russian Federation (Russia), using the 
Document Image System (DIS) of the Automated Commercial Environment 
(ACE). CBP and Commerce have developed this program to test and assess 
the electronic transmission to CBP of certain import documentation for 
incoming shipments subject to the

[[Page 72687]]

applicable provisions of the Agreement Suspending the Antidumping 
Investigation on Uranium from the Russian Federation (Suspension 
Agreement).\1\ The test will involve forms and certifications required 
by the Suspension Agreement for shipments of uranium products from 
Russia that must be filed with CBP at the time of entry when an entry 
has been filed in ACE. Under this test, such documents must be 
submitted using DIS. This test applies to all entry types filed in ACE 
at any port. The electronic submission to CBP of such documentation 
through DIS is in addition to, and does not replace, the timely filing 
of the documentation required by the Suspension Agreement with Commerce 
through Enforcement and Compliance's (E&C) electronic filing system, 
Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service 
System (ACCESS), available at access.trade.gov.\2\
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    \1\ See Agreement Suspending the Antidumping Investigation on 
Uranium from the Russian Federation, 57 FR 492220, 49235 (October 
30, 1992); Amendment to Agreement Suspending the Antidumping 
Investigation on Uranium from the Russian Federation, 59 FR 15373 
(April 1, 1994); Amendments to the Agreement Suspending the 
Antidumping Investigation on Uranium from the Russian Federation, 61 
FR 56665 (November 4, 1996); Amendment to Agreement Suspending the 
Antidumping Investigation on Uranium from the Russian Federation, 62 
FR 37879 (July 15, 1997); and Amendment to the Agreement Suspending 
the Antidumping Investigation on Uranium From the Russian 
Federation, 73 FR 7705 (February 11, 2008).
    \2\ All submissions to E&C must be filed electronically using 
ACCESS. See 19 CFR 351.303(b)(2)(i). Documents excepted from the 
electronic submission requirements must be filed manually (i.e., in 
paper form) with E&C's APO/Dockets Unit, Room 18022, U.S. Department 
of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 
20230, and stamped with the date and time of receipt by the 
applicable deadlines. See 19 CFR 351.303(b)(2)(ii).

DATES: The test will commence no earlier than November 20, 2015 and 
will continue until concluded by publication of a notice in the Federal 
Register ending the test. Comments on, and applications to participate 
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in, the test will be accepted through the duration of the test.

ADDRESSES: To submit comments concerning this test program, send an 
email to Josephine Baiamonte ([email protected]), Director, 
Business Transformation, ACE Business Office (ABO), Office of 
International Trade, and cc: Wendy Frankel ([email protected]), 
Director, Customs Liaison Unit, Enforcement & Compliance, International 
Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. In the subject line 
of an email, please use, ``Comment on E&C DIS Test FRN.'' Any party 
seeking to participate in this test should contact their CBP client 
representative. Interested parties without an assigned CBP client 
representative should send an email message to Steven Zaccaro at 
[email protected] with the subject heading ``E&C DIS Test 
FRN-Request to Participate.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical questions related to 
ACE, contact your assigned CBP client representative. Interested 
parties without an assigned CBP client representative should direct 
their questions to Steven Zaccaro at [email protected]. For 
Participating Government Agencies' (PGA) related questions, contact Emi 
Wallace (CBP) at [email protected], and for E&C related 
questions contact Sally C. Gannon or Sam Zengotitabengoa, Enforcement 
and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 
20230; telephone: (202) 482-0162 or (202) 482-4195, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION: 

Background

I. International Trade Data System and ACE

    This test is in furtherance of the ITDS, which is statutorily 
authorized by section 405 of the Security and Accountability for Every 
(SAFE) Port Act of 2006, Public Law 109-347. The purpose of ITDS, as 
defined by section 4 of the SAFE Port Act of 2006, is to eliminate 
redundant information filing requirements, efficiently regulate the 
flow of commerce, and effectively enforce laws and regulations relating 
to international trade, by establishing a single portal system, 
operated by CBP, for the collection and distribution of standard 
electronic import and export data required by all participating Federal 
agencies. On October 13, 2015, CBP promulgated regulations providing 
that, as of November 1, 2015, ACE is a CBP authorized Electronic Data 
Interchange System which may be used for the filing of entries and 
entry summaries. See Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Filings for 
Electronic Entry/Entry Summary (Cargo Release and Related Entry), 80 FR 
61278 (October 13, 2015).

II. Document Imaging System

    DIS allows importers who file entries in ACE to file documentation 
electronically through DIS and into ACE to meet CBP and PGA) reporting 
requirements. This documentation must be submitted at any time prior to 
the arrival of the merchandise on the conveyance transporting the cargo 
to the United States. The documentation will be validated and made 
available to the relevant PGAs involved in import, export, and 
transportation-related decision making, as appropriate. The 
documentation filed using DIS will be used to fulfill merchandise entry 
and entry summary filing requirements, eliminate the need to file that 
documentation in paper format, and allow for earlier release decisions 
and more certainty for the importer in determining the logistics of 
cargo delivery. Also, by virtue of being electronic, DIS will eliminate 
the necessity for the submission and subsequent manual processing by 
CBP of paper documents because the forms and certifications filed using 
DIS do not have to be filed in paper format. All DIS participants are 
required to use a software program that has completed ACE certification 
testing for DIS. For information, terms and conditions, procedures and 
rules, and requirements regarding the use of DIS please see 
Modification of the National Customs Automation Program (NCAP) Test 
Concerning the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Document Image 
System (DIS) Regarding Future Updates and New Method of Submission of 
Accepted Documents, 80 FR 62082 (October 15, 2015). For a list of PGA 
forms and documents which may be transmitted to ACE using DIS, please 
see http://www.cbp.gov/trade/ace/features.

III. Test Rules, Terms and Conditions

    For approved participants, this test applies to all modes of 
transportation for uranium products from Russia subject to the 
Suspension Agreement. This test applies only to entries filed in ACE. 
Entries under this test may be filed at any port. Under the test, 
importers will be required to electronically transmit certain 
information, including scanned documents, which must be filed with CBP 
at the time of entry, pursuant to the Suspension Agreement. Imaged 
documentation sent in by DIS must be an accurate, complete, unaltered, 
unmodified and faithful copy of the original. Both the original 
document and the imaged document must be retained by the filer and 
importer for five years from the date of submission and both are 
subject to CBP's laws and regulations concerning recordkeeping.\3\ 
Examples of the types of scanned images that will be submitted to the 
DIS under this test are:

[[Page 72688]]

Antidumping/Countervailing Duty (AD/CVD) Foreign Government Export 
License: Uranium products from Russia; AD/CVD Foreign Government Export 
Certificate: Uranium products from Russia; AD/CVD Declaration of Intent 
to Re-Export: Uranium products from Russia; AD/CVD Processor 
Certification: Uranium Products from Russia; AD/CVD End-User 
Certification: Uranium products from Russia; AD/CVD Purchase and/or 
Delivery Order: Uranium products from Russia; AD/CVD Origin 
Certification: Uranium products from any country including Russia; and 
AD/CVD Anticircumvention Certification: Uranium products from any 
country including Russia. All documentation required for entries of 
Russian uranium products must still be timely filed with Commerce, in 
accordance with the Suspension Agreement's requirements, through 
ACCESS, E&C's electronic filing system.
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    \3\ 19 U.S.C. 1508-1509; 19 CFR part 163.
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IV. Test Participation Criteria and Participation Procedure

    Any party seeking to participate in this test must provide CBP, in 
their request to participate, their filer code and the port(s) at which 
they are interested in filing the appropriate DIS information. Requests 
to participate in this test will be accepted throughout the duration of 
the test. To be eligible to apply for this test, the applicant must be 
a self-filing importer or broker who has the ability to file entries in 
ACE. All test participants are required to use a software program that 
has completed ACE certification testing for DIS. Applicants will be 
notified of their acceptance into the test and of the date they may 
begin participation.

V. Anticipated Process Changes

    For participants accepted into the test, the current paper process 
for the submission to CBP of documentation for shipments of Russian 
uranium products subject to the Suspension Agreement will be replaced 
by the submittal of scanned document images through DIS. Entry data 
submissions will be subject to validation edits and any applicable PGA 
business rules programmed into ACE. Once entry data has cleared the 
initial stage of validation edits and PGA business rules, the filer 
will receive messages as to the status of the shipment from the time of 
entry data submission until the time of release. Once all of the PGAs 
have concluded their review of the shipment and have unset any 
remaining holds, CBP will send a ``One U.S.G.'' release message to the 
filer to indicate that the filer has fulfilled all U.S. Government 
filing requirements at the port of entry for the shipment. Filers 
should note, however, that the filing of documentation with CBP through 
DIS does not replace the separate filing requirements with Commerce 
pursuant to the Suspension Agreement's requirements, as noted above.

VI. Confidentiality

    All data submitted and entered into ACE is subject to the Trade 
Secrets Act (18 U.S.C. 1905) and is considered confidential, except to 
the extent as otherwise provided by law. Participation in ACE tests is 
not confidential, and a name(s) of an approved participant(s) may be 
disclosed by CBP.

    Dated: November 12, 2015.
Paul Piquado,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2015-29722 Filed 11-19-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P