[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]


 ========================================================================
 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 
 appearing in this section.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  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.

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

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