CBP Seeks Comments on Free Trade Agreements Info Collection
CBP is requesting comments by Jan. 16 for an existing information collection for free trade agreements. CBP proposes (here) to extend the expiration date of this information collection with a change to the burden hours.
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Free Trade Agreement Data
Free trade agreements involve collection of data elements such as information about the importer and exporter of the goods, a description of the goods, tariff classification number, and the preference criterion in the Rules of Origin. The following U.S. trade agreements include such data collections: Chile, Singapore, Australia, Morocco, Jordan, Bahrain , Oman, Peru, South Korea, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
CBP Estimates
CBP has reevaluated the time necessary to prepare and submit information related to the free trade agreements. CBP previously estimated a time per response of 12 minutes, but it now believes that 2 hours per response is a more accurate estimate, it said. This update has increased the estimated burden hours for this from 71,720 annual hours to 717,200 annual hours. CBP also added the Dominican Republic - Central American Free Trade Agreement to this information collection because it has the same collection requirements as the other agreements, said CBP. As a result, there are 4,800 additional burden hours estimated for the information collection, it said.
Comments Requested on Ways to Minimize Burden, Etc.
CBP is asking for comments from the general public and other federal agencies on (a) whether the 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 estimates of the burden of the collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to minimize the burden, including the use of automated collection techniques or the use of other forms of information technology; and (e) the annual costs burden to respondents or record keepers from the collection of information (a total of capital/startup costs and operations and maintenance costs).
CBP Contact -- Tracey Denning (202) 325-0265
(Federal Register 11/17/14)