[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 191 (Wednesday, October 4, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46224-46225]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-21330]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XF695


International Trade Data System Test Concerning the Electronic 
Submission of Certain Data Required for the Seafood Import Monitoring 
Program

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces, in consultation with U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection (CBP), a test of the International Trade Data System (ITDS) 
involving the electronic submission of data, related to importation of 
fish products regulated by NMFS under the Seafood Import Monitoring 
Program (SIMP), using the import Partner Government Agency (PGA) data 
set via the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Secure Data Portal. 
CBP and NMFS have developed a plan to test and assess the electronic 
transmission of harvest and traceability data for fish imports of the 
Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) codes covered by the SIMP.
    The test will involve using the above referenced methods to 
transmit the data required for processing imports of products specified 
in the SIMP. Under this test, data may be submitted for the covered 
fish products imported in any operational port. SIMP does not require 
or allow for submission of forms through the Document Imaging System 
(DIS). All ports are operational for the test.

DATES: The test will commence after October 1, 2017, and will continue 
until concluded by publication of a notice in the Federal Register 
ending the test. Comments on the submission and processing of import 
data will be accepted throughout the duration of the test. On January 
1, 2018 electronic submission of data under Seafood Import Monitoring 
Program will be mandatory.

ADDRESSES: To submit comments concerning this test program, send an 
email to Josephine Baiamonte ([email protected]), Director, 
Business Transformation, Trade Transformation Office (ABO), Office of 
Trade. In the subject line of an email, please use, ``Comment on NMFS 
SIMP Test FRN''.
    Any party seeking to participate in this test should contact their 
client representative. Interested parties without an assigned client 
representative should submit an email to John Handy at 
[email protected] with the subject heading ``NMFS SIMP FRN--Request to 
Participate''.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical questions related to the 
Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) transmissions, contact your 
assigned client representative. Interested parties without an assigned 
client representative should direct their questions to John Handy at 
[email protected]. For PGA reporting related questions, contact Emi 
Wallace (CBP) at [email protected] and for NMFS program related 
questions, contact Dale Jones (NMFS) at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

I. The Automated Commercial Environment

    ACE is an automated and electronic system for commercial trade 
processing, which is intended to streamline business processes, 
facilitate growth in trade, ensure cargo security, and foster 
participation in global commerce, while ensuring compliance with U.S. 
laws and regulations and reducing costs for CBP and all of its 
communities of interest. The ability to meet these objectives depends 
on successfully modernizing CBP's business functions and the 
information technology that supports those functions.
    CBP's modernization efforts are accomplished through phased 
releases of ACE component functionality designed to replace a specific 
function of the legacy Automated Commercial System (ACS) function. Each 
release will begin with a test and will end with mandatory use of the 
new ACE feature, thus retiring the legacy ACS function. Each release 
builds on previous releases and sets the foundation for subsequent 
releases.

II. International Trade Data System

    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.

III. PGA Data Elements

    At this time, ACE is prepared to accept certain PGA data elements 
for NMFS regulated fish imports included in the test. The PGA data 
elements comprising the test are generally related to harvest and 
landing of seafood, additional information on the Seafood Import 
Monitoring Program is available at http://www.iuufishing.noaa.gov/.

IV. The National Marine Fisheries Service Test

    This ITDS test is in furtherance of key CBP ITDS initiatives as 
provided in the SAFE Port Act of 2006. Under this test, NMFS required 
data will be transmitted electronically through ACE for any merchandise 
or combination thereof covered by any of these programs.
    For approved participants, the test may include all modes of 
transport and all commodities regulated under the Seafood Import 
Monitoring Program. The import entry filing process for NMFS will 
require the submission of specifically designated data/information at 
the time of filing entry with CBP. The transmission of the required 
data for NMFS will be utilized to collect the specified information 
that is required by NMFS. The data will be transmitted in ACE, using 
the Automated Broker Interface (ABI) at the time of filing an entry to 
CBP and it will accompany other required import data.
    Examples of the kind of data that will be transmitted as part of 
this test are: The International Fisheries Trade Permit number, 3-alpha 
species codes, and fishing area. For information regarding fish 
products regulated by NMFS and data, information, forms and documents 
required by NMFS, see the implementation guidelines for the NMFS at: 
https://www.cbp.gov/document/guidance/nmfs-simp-message-set.

V. Test Participation Criteria and Participation Procedure

    Any party seeking to participate in this test must provide CBP, in 
their request to participate, their ABI filer code and the port(s) at 
which they are interested in filing the appropriate PGA data set. 
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 who has the ability to file 
import entries or a broker who has the ability to file import entries; 
and the applicant files or intends to file entries for NMFS commodities 
that are the subject of this test. All test

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participants are required to use a software program that has completed 
ACE certification testing for import data.
    At this time, data submissions may be submitted for imports filed 
at any CBP port. Test participants should contact their client 
representative regarding import filings eligible for the test (see 
ADDRESSES).

VII. Anticipated Process Changes

    A final rule establishing the Seafood Import Monitoring Program 
(SIMP)--was effective on January 9, 2017, and has a compliance date of 
January 1, 2018 (81 FR 88975; December 9, 2016). This test covers 
communication and coordination among the agencies and the filers for 
the importation of these fisheries products. The agencies will also be 
testing new operational processes in real time with actual ACE filings 
in the production environment that include test messages to communicate 
errors in filing and release status updates to the port and to the 
filer.

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. As stated in previous notices, 
participation in this or any of the previous ACE tests is not 
confidential and upon a written Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 
request, a name(s) of an approved participant(s) will be disclosed by 
CBP in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552.

    Dated: September 29, 2017.
Steven Wilson,
Acting Director, Office for International Affairs and Seafood 
Inspection, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-21330 Filed 10-3-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P