[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 61 (Friday, March 29, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19182-19183]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office
[FR Doc No: 2013-07385]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. FSIS-2012-0037]
Electronic Filing of Import Inspection Applications for Meat,
Poultry, and Egg Products: Availability of Draft Compliance Guide and
PGA Message Set Pilot Program
AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing
the availability of and requesting comments on a draft compliance guide
for U.S. importers and brokers on the electronic filing of import
inspection applications for certain meat, poultry, and egg products
through the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). ACE is the Web-
based portal for the collection and use of international trade data
maintained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). FSIS is also
announcing a pilot program intended to test the transfer of data from
the Participating Government Agency (PGA) Message Set in ACE to FSIS's
Web-based data analytics system, the Public Health Information System
(PHIS). The PGA Message Set is the data that CBP will collect
electronically from U.S. importers and brokers from PGAs. This data
will enable agencies to make decisions about which products can come
into the U.S. without the multiple paper forms currently used. FSIS
encourages U.S. importers and brokers to review the draft compliance
guide and, if they are interested, to request participation in FSIS's
pilot program. The Agency will consider all comments submitted and will
revise the draft compliance guide as necessary.
DATES: Submit electronic or written requests to participate in the
pilot program on or before May 28, 2013. Comments on the draft
compliance guide should be submitted on or before June 27, 2013.
ADDRESSES: FSIS invites interested persons to submit requests to
participate in the pilot program and comments on the compliance guide.
Written or email requests to participate in the pilot program should be
submitted to Mary Stanley, whose contact information can be found
below. Comments on the compliance guide may be submitted by either of
the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: This Web site provides the
ability to type short comments directly into the comment field on this
Web page or attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line instructions at that site for
submitting comments.
Mail, including CD-ROMs, etc.: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Office
of Policy and Program Development, Risk, Innovations, and Management
Division, Docket Clearance Unit, Patriots Plaza 3, 1400 Independence
Avenue SW., Mailstop 3782, Room 8-163A, Washington, DC 20250-3700.
Hand-or courier-delivered submittals: Send to Docket
Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection
Service, Office of Policy and Program Development, Risk, Innovations,
and Management Division, Docket Clearance Unit, Patriots Plaza 3, 355
E. Street SW., Room 8-163A, Washington, DC 20250-3700.
Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must
include the Agency name and docket number FSIS-2012-0037. Comments
received in response to this notice will be made available for public
inspection and posted without change, including any personal
information, to http://www.regulations.gov.
Docket: For access to background documents or comments received, go
to the FSIS Docket Room at the address listed above between 8:30 a.m.
and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Stanley, Director, International
Policy Division, Office of Policy and Program Development, FSIS, USDA,
South Agriculture Building, Room 2925-S, 1400 Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington DC 20250; telephone: (202) 720-0287, fax: (202) 720-4929 or
email: mary.stanley@fsis.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) (21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) and
the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) (21 U.S.C. 451 et seq.)
prohibit the importation of meat and poultry products into the United
States if such products are adulterated or misbranded and unless they
comply with all the inspection, building construction standards, and
all other provisions of the Acts and regulations as are applied to
domestic products (21 U.S.C. 620, 466). The Egg Products Inspection Act
(EPIA) (21 U.S.C. 1031 et seq.) prohibits the importation of egg
products unless they have been processed under an approved continuous
inspection system of the government of the foreign country of origin
and comply with all other provisions of the Act and regulations that
apply to United States domestic products (U.S.C. 1046).
FSIS meat, poultry, and egg products import regulations require
importers to apply for the inspection of imported product (9 CFR 327.5,
381.198, and 590.920). Applicants complete FSIS Form 9540-1, ``Import
Inspection Application and Report,'' for meat, poultry products, and
egg \1\ products. Until recently, the applicants gave the completed
Form 9540-1 to FSIS import inspection program personnel, who entered
the information from the form into the Automated Import Inspection
System (AIIS), the computer system that
[[Page 19183]]
generated reinspection assignments and received and stored reinspection
results. The egg products import request form (FSIS Form 5200-8)
information was entered into the Egg Product Database, which was used
to track imported egg products and identify shipments for reinspection.
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\1\ For egg products, applicants had to submit FSIS Form 5200-8,
Import Request Egg Products. The Agency has revised FSIS Form 9540-
1, Import Inspection Application, to include egg products and
additional information the Agency needs to accurately assigning
reinspection tasks and sampling of the product.
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On May 29, 2012, FSIS replaced AIIS and the Egg Product Database
with the import component of PHIS. PHIS has replaced many of the
Agency's current systems and has automated many business processes.
PHIS provides a streamlined, electronic alternative to the paper-based
import inspection application process.
PHIS electronically links with CBP's ACE system, the Web-based
portal for the collection and use of international trade data, to
create a unified import processing system for entering data. Currently,
the PHIS interface with ACE enables the transfer to FSIS of a limited
number of data elements collected by CBP that are also required by
FSIS. The PGA Message Set defines the additional information FSIS
requires from importers to complete the Agency's import application
process. The PGA Message Set will enable U.S. importers and customs
brokers to enter FSIS import inspection application information
directly into the Automated Broker Interface (ABI), which transfers
data into ACE as part of the CBP entry process.
The PGA Message Set is a harmonized data set containing information
that CBP will collect electronically from U.S. importers and brokers
for PGAs, like FSIS. This capability will provide a complete import
application, which will facilitate FSIS data entry and clearance of
shipments presented for reinspection without using the paper forms
currently employed. The PGA Message Set will ultimately provide U.S.
importers and brokers with a ``single window'' to electronically
transmit all required import data to the U.S. Government.
Import inspection application information filed with ACE will be
sent to PHIS through a data transfer in advance of a shipment's
arrival. The electronic receipt of this import information to PHIS will
expedite data entry and shipment clearance by FSIS.
To facilitate the implementation of the electronic filing of FSIS-
specific data elements, FSIS has developed the draft compliance guide
Data Samples and Guidelines for Using the PGA Message Set for
Electronic Completion of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA),
Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) Application for Import
Inspection(FSIS Form 9540-1). The draft compliance guide is intended to
help U.S. importers and brokers understand the additional FSIS data
that will need to be submitted through CBP's ACE system in order to
complete the import application process. FSIS has posted this draft
compliance guide on its Web page (http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/Data_Samples_Guidelines_PGA_Message_Set.pdf) and is requesting comments
on the guidance.
Pilot Program
FSIS intends to initiate a pilot program on May 28, 2013 to test
the transfer of data from the PGA Message Set in ACE to PHIS. The
Agency encourages U.S. importers and brokers to request to join this
pilot program. Instead of submitting the paper-based FSIS Form 9540-1,
participating U.S. importers and brokers will use the PGA Message Set
to send the additional FSIS-specific data elements through ACE to PHIS
before their cargo arrives in to the United States. The specific data
elements are outlined in the draft compliance guide. FSIS will
determine whether sending data from the PGA Message Set in ACE to PHIS
expedites the clearance process. FSIS anticipates that this pilot
program will help prepare for the efficient transition from the paper-
based FSIS Form 9540-1 to PHIS.
Additional Public Notification
FSIS will announce this notice on-line through the FSIS Web page
located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/Federal_Register_Notices/index.asp.
FSIS also will make copies of this Federal Register publication
available through the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to provide
information regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal
Register notices, FSIS public meetings, and other types of information
that could affect or would be of interest to constituents and
stakeholders. The Update is communicated via Listserv, a free
electronic mail subscription service for industry, trade groups,
consumer interest groups, health professionals and other individuals
who have asked to be included. The Update is available on the FSIS Web
page. Through the Listserv and the Web page, FSIS is able to provide
information to a much broader and more diverse audience.
In addition, FSIS offers an email subscription service which
provides automatic and customized access to selected food safety news
and information. This service is available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Email_Subscription/. Options range from recalls to
export information to regulations, directives and notices. Customers
can add or delete subscriptions themselves, and have the option to
password protect their accounts.
Done in Washington, DC on: March 25, 2013.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2013-07385 Filed 3-28-13; 8:45 am]
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