[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 197 (Wednesday, October 12, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70441-70442]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-24639]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

[Docket No. ATF 2016R-11]


International Trade Data System Test--Voluntary Export Pilot 
Project

AGENCY: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Department 
of Justice.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Along with other agencies, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, 
Firearms and Explosives (ATF) will participate in a U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection (CBP) pilot test of the International Trade Data 
System (ITDS), using electronic processing of export data through the 
Automated Export System (AES) which is accessed within CBP's Automated 
Commercial

[[Page 70442]]

Environment (ACE). ACE, the primary system through which exporters 
transmit export data for the clearance of cargo, automates manual 
processes, eliminates paper, and helps exporters efficiently comply 
with laws and regulations. Exporters of National Firearms Act (NFA) 
firearms, which include machineguns, silencers and destructive devices, 
may use the ACE portal, to submit data via the AESDirect system. 
Participation in the pilot test is voluntary.
    The pilot test will allow participating exporters to submit forms, 
such as the ATF Form 9, Application and Permit for Permanent 
Exportation of Firearms, and information to CBP electronically to 
obtain CBP certification of exportation. CBP will validate that 
information, and electronically transmit export information to agencies 
(including ATF) to satisfy CBP's certification requirements. The pilot 
test seeks to streamline this part of the export process. Information 
on ATF's rules and regulations, and answers to commonly asked 
questions, can be found on the agency's Web site: http://www.atf.gov.

DATES: Interested exporters of NFA firearms, which include machineguns, 
silencers and destructive devices, may participate in the pilot test 
throughout the duration of the pilot. This pilot will begin upon 
publication of this notice, and will continue until concluded by 
publication of a notice ending it. Interested parties with ATF 
questions should contact Gary Schaible, whose contact information is 
found below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gary Schaible, Industry Liaison 
Analyst, Firearms and Explosives Services Division, Office of 
Enforcement Programs and Services; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms 
and Explosives; U.S. Department of Justice; 99 New York Avenue NE., 
Room 6N521, Washington, DC 20226; telephone: (202) 648-7165; email 
[email protected]. For technical questions regarding ACE or the 
AES data transmission, please contact your assigned CBP client 
representative. Interested parties without an assigned client 
representative should submit an email to Steven Zaccaro at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In compliance with Executive Order 13659, 
Streamlining the Export/Import Process for America's Businesses (79 FR 
10657, Feb. 25, 2014), ATF intends to join CBP's pilot test upon 
publication of this notice. ATF encourages the voluntary participation 
of U.S. exporters of NFA firearms, which include machineguns, silencers 
and destructive devices. The NFA (Title 26, United States Code, Chapter 
53) and the implementing regulations in Title 27, Code of Federal 
Regulations, Part 479 require any person desiring to export a firearm 
without payment of transfer tax to apply for a permit (ATF Form 9, 
Application and Permit for Permanent Exportation of Firearms). The 
approval provides for deferment of tax liability. The exporter is then 
required to furnish to ATF evidence of the exportation of the 
firearm(s) within a six-month's period of the date of issuance of the 
permit to relieve the tax liability. A satisfactory means of 
documentation of exportation is for CBP to execute the certificate of 
exportation (Part 3 of Form 9) and send a copy of the executed 
certificate to ATF. This pilot program will allow CBP to transmit the 
certificate to ATF electronically rather than by mail. The exporter 
will continue to apply on Form 9 for the permit.
    Exporters who wish to participate in this pilot test must have an 
ACE Portal Account to be able to file the relevant data electronically 
via AES Direct. Information regarding an ACE Portal Account can be 
found at https://www.cbp.gov/trade/automated/getting-started/using-ace-secure-data-portal. Additional information is available at https://www.cbp.gov/trade/automated/getting-started.
    ATF data elements include ATF Category Code, Federal Firearms 
License (FFL) Number, FFL Exemption Code, Control Number, Control 
Number Exemption Code, Quantity, and Optional Description Field. CBP 
will validate that information, and electronically transmit CBPs 
certification of exportation to ATF. Regarding appropriate data 
elements, CBP stipulates that ``Electronic Export Information'' is the 
electronic export data as filed in the Automated Export System (AES). 
This data is the electronic equivalent of the export data formerly 
collected as Shipper's Export Declaration (SED) information. For 
additional information, ATF refers exporters to CBP's AES Technical 
Information page at https://www.cbp.gov/trade/aes.
    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. As stated in previous notices, 
however, the submitter's participation in this or any of the previous 
ACE tests is not confidential and upon a written Freedom of Information 
Act request, the name(s) of an approved participant(s) will be 
disclosed by CBP in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552.
    This pilot test will begin upon publication of this notice, and 
will continue until concluded by publication of a notice ending it.

    Approved: October 5, 2016.
Thomas E. Brandon,
Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. 2016-24639 Filed 10-11-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4410-FY-P