[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 113 (Thursday, June 11, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35633-35634]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-10944]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 113 / Thursday, June 11, 2020 /
Notices
[[Page 35633]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Doc. No. AMS-SC-18-0008; SC18-944/980/999-1]
International Trade Data System Test Concerning the Electronic
Submission Through the Automated Commercial Environment of Notification
of Importation of Fruits, Vegetables, and Specialty Crops Required by
the Agricultural Marketing Service Using the Partner Government Agency
Message Set; Conclusion of Pilot Test
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the conclusion of a pilot test of the
International Trade Data System (ITDS) involving the electronic
submission of data related to importations of fruits, vegetables, and
specialty crops. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) regulates
imports of the food commodities and is engaged in a partnership with
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and other government agencies
to test the Partner Government Agency (PGA) Message Set component of
the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). The submission of this
import information is required under section 608e (section 8e-1) of the
Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937. The pilot program tested
the electronic transmission of data related to AMS's responsibilities
through CBP's ACE known as the PGA Message Set to AMS's Compliance
Enforcement Management System (CEMS).
DATES: The pilot test will conclude on September 2, 2020.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Lower, Assistant to the
Director, Marketing Order and Agreement Division, Specialty Crops
Program, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, STOP 0237, Washington,
DC 20250-0237; Telephone: (202) 720-2491, Fax: (202) 720-8938; Email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice announces the conclusion of the
pilot in which AMS tested the electronic filing of section 8e data in
the ACE via the PGA Message Set. On August 6, 2015, AMS published a
notice in the Federal Register (80 FR 46947) announcing a pilot test of
the PGA Message Set for the electronic submission of import data
required by section 8e. The pilot was set to begin no earlier than July
13, 2015 and was to continue until its conclusion was announced by
publication in the Federal Register.
International Trade Data System
The pilot was conducted in furtherance of 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 stated in section 405 of the SAFE Port Act of
2006 (19 U.S.C. 1411(d)), 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 the U.S.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP), for the collection and
distribution of standard electronic import data required by all
participating Federal agencies.''
ITDS provides an electronic ``single window'' to the import trade
through CBP's ACE, which streamlines business processes, facilitates
growth in trade, ensures cargo security, and fosters 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. ACE is the primary system through which the global trade
community electronically files information about imports so that
admissibility into the United States may be determined and government
agencies, including AMS, may ensure compliance.
Partner Government Agency Message Set
The PGA Message Set is the data needed to satisfy PGA reporting
requirements. ACE enables the message set by acting as the ``single
window'' through which trade-related data required by the PGAs is
submitted by trade participants only once to CBP. This data must be
submitted prior to the arrival of the merchandise on the conveyance
transporting the cargo to the United States as part of an ACE Entry/
Cargo Release or Entry Summary. After trade participants submit the
data, the system validates and makes the information available to the
relevant PGAs involved in import, export, and transportation-related
decision making. The data is used to complete merchandise entry and
entry summary requirements, and allows for earlier release decisions
and more certainty for the importer in determining the logistics of
cargo delivery. Also, the electronic PGA Message Set eliminates the
necessity for the submission and subsequent handling of paper
documents.
Conclusion of ITDS Imports Pilot for AMS
The pilot was set to begin no earlier than July 13, 2015 and was to
continue until its conclusion was announced by publication in the
Federal Register. AMS initially conducted the pilot at certain ports of
entry and eventually expanded the pilot nationally. The pilot tested
the transmission of AMS data through CBP's ACE and the analysis of that
data by AMS's CEMS. CBP and AMS have evaluated the transmission and
analysis of the trade data related to AMS responsibilities and have
found the pilot successful. As such, the ACE PGA Message Set is deemed
to have the operational capabilities necessary to electronically
collect the section 8e data required by AMS, and AMS's CEMS is deemed
to have the operational capabilities necessary to analyze that data.
Therefore, this rule announces the conclusion of the AMS PGA Message
Set pilot for imports.
[[Page 35634]]
The public was invited to comment on any aspects of the pilot. No
comments were received.
Bruce Summers,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-10944 Filed 6-10-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P