[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 108 (Wednesday, June 5, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26075-26077]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-11639]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; NMFS 
Implementation of International Trade Data System

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before August 5, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230 (or via the internet 
at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Christopher Rogers at (301) 427-8375 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    Type of Review: Regular submission (revision and extension of a 
current information collection).
    The Security and Accountability for Every Port Act of 2006 (SAFE 
Port Act, Pub. L. 109-347) requires all Federal agencies with a role in 
import admissibility decisions to collect information electronically 
through the International Trade Data System (ITDS). The Department of 
the Treasury has the U.S. Government lead on ITDS development and 
Federal agency integration. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 
developed the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) as an internet-
based system for the collection and dissemination of information for 
ITDS. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), through its e-
government initiative, oversees Federal agency participation in ITDS, 
with a focus on reducing duplicate reporting across agencies and 
migrating paper-based reporting systems to electronic information 
collection.
    Numerous Federal agencies are involved in the regulation of 
international trade and many of these agencies participate in the 
import, export, and transportation-related decision-making process. 
Agencies also use trade data to monitor and report on trade activity. 
NMFS is a partner government agency in the ITDS project because of its 
role in monitoring the trade of certain fishery products. Electronic 
collection of seafood trade data through a single portal has resulted 
in an overall reduction of the public reporting burden and the agency's 
data collection costs, has improved the timeliness and accuracy of 
admissibility decisions, and has increased the

[[Page 26076]]

effectiveness of applicable trade restrictive measures.
    NMFS is responsible for implementation of trade measures and 
monitoring programs for fishery products subject to the documentation 
requirements of Regional Fishery Management Organizations (RFMO) and/or 
documentation requirements under domestic laws. RFMOs are international 
fisheries organizations, established by treaties, to promote 
international cooperation to achieve effective and responsible marine 
stewardship and ensure sustainable fisheries management. The United 
States is a signatory to many RFMO treaties, and Congress has passed 
implementing legislation to carry out U.S. obligations under those 
treaties, including trade measures to support conservation. Trade 
measures and monitoring programs enable the United States to exclude 
products that do not meet the RFMO criteria for admissibility to U.S. 
markets.
    Pursuant to domestic statutory authorities and/or multilateral 
agreements, NMFS has implemented a number of monitoring programs to 
collect information from the seafood industry regarding the origin of 
certain fishery products. The purpose of these programs is to determine 
the admissibility of the products in accordance with the specific 
criteria of the trade measure or documentation requirements in effect.
    The three NMFS trade monitoring programs included in the OMB 
information collection approved under Control Number 0648-0732 are the 
Highly Migratory Species International Trade Program (HMS ITP) which 
regulates trade in specified commodities of tuna, swordfish, billfish, 
and shark fins; the Antarctic Marine Living Resources (AMLR) trade 
program which regulates trade in Antarctic and Patagonian toothfish and 
other fishery products caught in the area where the Convention on the 
Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) applies; and 
the Tuna Tracking and Verification Program (TTVP), which regulates 
trade in frozen and/or processed tuna products (refer to 50 CFR 
216.24(f)(2)(iii) for a complete list).
    Separately, NMFS received approval from OMB for the Seafood Import 
Monitoring Program (SIMP) under Control Number 0648-0739. That program 
has been implemented under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). Section 307(1)(Q) of the 
MSA prohibits the importation of fish or fish products that have been 
harvested in violation of a foreign law or regulation, or in 
contravention of a binding conservation measure of an RFMO to which the 
United States is a contracting party. Under SIMP, information on the 
harvest event must be submitted in ACE as part of the entry filing for 
designated fish products to allow NMFS to determine that the fish were 
lawfully acquired and are therefore admissible into U.S. commerce. In 
2019, NMFS included shrimp and abalone entries in SIMP, and received 
OMB approval for the additional reporting burden for shrimp and abalone 
entries under a separate Control Number (0648-0776).
    Generally, these trade monitoring programs are similar and require 
anyone who intends to import, export, and/or re-export regulated 
species to: Obtain a permit from NMFS; obtain documentation on the 
flag-nation authorization for the harvest from the foreign exporter; 
and submit this information to NMFS. Depending on the commodity, 
specific information may also be required. For example, the flag state 
of the harvesting vessel, the ocean area of catch, the fishing gear 
used, the harvesting vessel name, and details and authorizations 
related to harvest, landing, transshipment and export. In renewing 
collection 0648-0732, NMFS will also request that OMB merge all the 
trade monitoring programs under one collection, thereby incorporating 
the reporting burdens associated with collections 0648-0739 and 0648-
0776 within the scope of 0648-0732.

II. Method of Collection

    The initial requirement for U.S. entities trading in the reportable 
commodities is to apply for an International Fisheries Trade Permit 
(IFTP). To obtain the IFTP, U.S. importers, exporters, and re-exporters 
of seafood products covered under the TTVP, AMLR, and HMS ITP programs 
would be required to electronically submit their application and fee 
for the IFTP via the National Permits System available online at: 
https://fisheriespermits.noaa.gov/npspub/pub_cmn_login/index_live.jsp).
    Currently, the TTVP, AMLR, HMS ITP and SIMP regulations require 
submission of specific information and documentation for trade 
monitoring. The IFTP holder, or his or her representative (e.g., 
customs broker), would need to electronically provide CBP via ACE with 
certain data sets (i.e., a subset of the information required to be 
kept as records under the TTVP, AMLR, HMS ITP or SIMP programs) and 
scanned images of documentation for each applicable trade transaction. 
NMFS has provided detailed information regarding submission of data 
sets and documentation in a compliance guide for industry which has 
been posted online at: (https://www.iuufishing.noaa.gov/Portals/33/SIMPComplianceGuide2018rev.pdf?ver=2018-12-11-172442-553).
    The format for the data sets has been designated for each of the 
three programs and specified in the following documents that were 
jointly developed by NMFS and CBP and made available online to affected 
entry filers by CBP (http://www.cbp.gov/trade/ace/catair):

CBP and Trade Automated Interface Requirements--Appendix PGA
CBP and Trade Automated Interface Requirements--PGA Message Set
Automated Broker Interface (ABI) Requirements--Implementation Guide for 
NMFS

III. Data

    OMB Control Numbers: 0648-0732; 0648-0739; 0648-0776.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission; revision and extension of a 
current information collection.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations; 
Federal government.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,800 per year.
    Estimated Time per Response: 3 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 365,000 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $2,900,000.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection;

[[Page 26077]]

they also will become a matter of public record.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, 
Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2019-11639 Filed 6-4-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P