[Federal Register: March 31, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 61)]
[Notices]
[Page 16510-16511]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr31mr05-78]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Bureau of Customs and Border Protection
Announcement of Change to Merchandise Eligibility Requirements
for Participation in Remote Location Filing Prototype Two
AGENCY: Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security.
ACTION: General notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces a change to the merchandise eligibility
requirements for participation in Remote Location Filing (RLF)
Prototype Two. RLF will now be permitted for cargo that will be moved
using immediate transportation (IT) and transportation and export (T &
E) in-bond procedures. CBP has determined that the security risks
previously associated with in-bond transactions have been greatly
reduced due to the significant security and cargo-processing gains
accomplished by the advance cargo information regulations set forth in
CBP Dec. 03-32, published in the Federal Register (68 FR 68140) on
December 5, 2003. CBP also realizes that as in-bond transactions are a
mainstay of international transactions, permitting RLF in an in-bond
context will enhance the Prototype's usefulness to the trade while
simultaneously furthering CBP's modernization objectives.
DATES: The change to Remote Location Filing (RLF) Prototype Two will go
into effect March 31, 2005.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and applications to participate in the
Prototype should be addressed to the Remote Filing Team, Office of
Field Operations, Customs and Border Protection, 1300 Pennsylvania
Avenue, NW., Room 5.2-B, Washington, DC 20229. Comments may also be
submitted to Sherri Braxton via e-mail at remote.filing@dhs.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For systems or automation issues:
Steve Linnemann (202) 344-1975 or Jennifer Engelbach (562) 366-5593.
For operational or policy issues: Sherri Braxton via e-mail at
remote.filing@dhs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
RLF Authorized by the National Customs Automation Program (NCAP)
Title VI of the North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation
Act, Pub. L. 103-182, 107 Stat. 2057 (December 8, 1993), contains
provisions pertaining to Customs Modernization (107 Stat. 2170).
Subpart B of Title VI of the Act concerns the National Customs
Automation Program (NCAP), an electronic system for the processing of
commercial imports. Within subpart B, section 631 of the Act added
section 414 (19 U.S.C. 1414), which provides for Remote Location Filing
(RLF), to the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended. RLF permits an eligible
NCAP participant to elect to file electronically a formal or informal
consumption entry with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from a
remote location within the customs territory of the United States other
than the port of arrival, or from within the port of arrival with a
requested designated examination site outside the port of arrival.
RLF Prototype Two
In accordance with Sec. 101.9(b) of the CBP Regulations (19 CFR
101.9(b)), CBP has developed and tested two RLF prototypes. A
chronological listing of Federal Register publications detailing
developments in the RLF prototypes follows:
On April 6, 1995, CBP announced in the Federal Register
(60 FR 17605) its plan to conduct the first of at least two RLF test
prototypes. The first RLF test, designated Prototype One, began on June
19, 1995.
On February 27, 1996, CBP announced in the Federal
Register (61 FR 7300) the expansion of Prototype One and its extension
until the implementation of RLF Prototype Two.
RLF Prototype Two commenced on January 1, 1997. See
document published in the Federal Register (61 FR 60749) on November
29, 1996.
CBP announced in the Federal Register (62 FR 64043), on
December 3, 1997, the extension of RLF Prototype Two until December 31,
1998.
On December 7, 1998, CBP announced in the Federal Register
(63 FR 67511) that Prototype Two would remain in effect until concluded
by notice in the Federal Register.
On July 6, 2001, CBP announced in the Federal Register (66
FR 35693) changes to the RLF Prototype Two eligibility requirements.
On November 16, 2001, CBP announced in the Federal
Register (66 FR 57774) a deadline extension for customs brokers
participating in RLF to submit their national broker permit numbers to
CBP.
On February 25, 2003, CBP announced in the Federal
Register (68 FR 8812) that line release entries would no longer be
permitted for purposes of RLF Prototype Two, and set forth a
comprehensive and updated list of current RLF eligibility requirements
and a description of a new simplified application process.
Change to RLF Prototype Two Merchandise Eligibility Criteria
This notice announces a change to the merchandise eligibility
requirements for participation in RLF Prototype Two, whereby RLF will
now be permitted for cargo that will be moved using immediate
transportation (IT) or transportation and export (T & E) in-bond
procedures. This was not allowed under the original terms of RLF
Prototype Two because CBP was
[[Page 16511]]
concerned with the general lack of security associated with in-bond
transactions.
Upon further review, CBP has determined that permitting RLF for
cargo that has already been moved using immediate transportation in-
bond procedures, or any other transportation entry in-bond, is
acceptable as the risks previously associated with in-bond transactions
have been greatly reduced due to the significant security and cargo-
processing gains accomplished by the advance cargo information
regulations set forth in CBP Dec. 03-32, published in the Federal
Register (68 FR 68140) on December 5, 2003. CBP also realizes that in-
bond transactions are a mainstay of international transactions. For
this reason, CBP views permitting RLF in an in-bond context as a means
of broadening the scope of RLF and thereby enhancing the program's
usefulness to the trade while simultaneously furthering the Bureau's
modernization objectives.
It is noted that with the exception of the change to the RLF
Prototype Two merchandise eligibility criteria involving in-bond
transportation procedures, discussed above, all other Prototype
eligibility requirements, procedures, terms and conditions, as set
forth in the document published on February 25, 2003, in the Federal
Register (68 FR 8812), remain in effect.
Dated: March 25, 2005.
Jayson P. Ahern,
Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations.
[FR Doc. 05-6397 Filed 3-30-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4820-02-P