NMFS has scheduled a public webinar for February 17, 2016 to present details of its December 29, 2015 Proposed Rule which would integrate three currently paper-based seafood trade monitoring programs within..
Electronic Filing of Seafood Trade Documents – The National Marine Fisheries Service has scheduled a public webinar for February 17, 2016 to present details of its December 29, 2015 Proposed Rule which would “… integrate three currently paper-based seafood trade monitoring programs within the scope of electronic data collection through the U.S. government-wide International Trade Data System …” – Specifically, NMFS proposes to require “… annually renewable International Fisheries Trade Permits (IFTP) for the import, export, and re-export of certain regulated seafood commodities that are subject to trade monitoring programs of regional fishery management organizations (RFMOs) and/or subject to trade documentation requirements under domestic law. These trade monitoring programs enable the United States to exclude products that do not meet the criteria for admissibility to U.S. markets, including products resulting from illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing activities …”
Document Title: * The title of the February 8, 2016 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Federal Register Proposed Rule is “Trade Monitoring Procedures for Fishery Products; International Trade in Seafood; Permit Requirements for Importers and Exporters; Public Meeting”
* The title of the December 29, 2015 NMFS Federal Register Proposed Rule is “Trade Monitoring Procedures for Fishery Products; International Trade in Seafood; Permit Requirements for Importers and Exporters”
Organization: * The February 8, 2016 Federal Register Proposed Rule was signed on February 2, 2016 by Steven Wilson who is the Acting Director of the Office for International Affairs and Seafood Inspection of the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, a unit of the US Department of Commerce
The December 29, 2015 Federal Register Proposed Rule was signed on December 23, 2015 by Eileen Sobeck who is the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
Source: February 8, 2016 and December 29, 2015 NMFS Federal Register Proposed Rules
Comments Due By: February 29, 2016 (for the December 29, 2016 Proposed Rule)
Web site: The February 8, 2016 NMFS Federal Register Proposed Rule is posted at
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2016-02-08/html/2016-02418.htm
The December 29, 2015 NMFS Federal Register Proposed Rule is posted at
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-12-29/html/2015-32743.htm
Additional information about the NMFS Proposed Rule for Electronic Reporting of Trade Data is available at
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ia/slider_stories/2015/12/itds_proposed_rule.html
Contact: Questions about the Proposed Rules may be directed to Mark Wildman who is with the NMFS Office for International Affairs and Seafood Inspection at 301 427 8350; e-mail: Mark.Wildman@NOAA.gov
Summary: The following information is taken from the December 29, 2015 NMFS Federal Register Proposed Rule:
SUMMARY: NMFS proposes regulations to revise procedures and requirements for filing import, export, and re-export documentation for certain fishery products to meet requirements for the SAFE Port Act of 2006, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), other applicable statutes, and obligations that arise from U.S. participation in regional fishery management organizations (RFMOs) and other arrangements to which the United States is a member or contracting party. Specifically, NMFS proposes to integrate the collection of trade documentation within the government-wide International Trade Data System (ITDS) and require electronic information collection through the automated portal maintained by the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Under this integration, NMFS would require annually renewable International Fisheries Trade Permits (IFTP) for the import, export, and re-export of certain regulated seafood commodities that are subject to trade monitoring programs of RFMOs and/or subject to trade documentation requirements under domestic law. These trade monitoring programs enable the United States to exclude products that do not meet the criteria for admissibility to U.S. markets, including products resulting from illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing activities. This proposed rule would consolidate existing international trade permits for regulated seafood products under the Antarctic Marine Living Resources (AMLR) and Highly Migratory Species International Trade Permit (HMS ITP) programs and expand the scope of the permit requirement to include regulated seafood products under the Tuna Tracking and Verification Program (TTVP). This proposed rule would also stipulate data and trade documentation for the above programs which must be provided electronically to CBP and address recordkeeping requirements for these programs in light of the proposed changes. Trade documentation excludes any programmatic documents that are not required at the time of entry/export (e.g., biweekly dealer reports).
Go to the NMFS Proposed Rules for additional information and details.
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