§ 1411 — National Customs Automation Program

(a) The Secretary shall establish the National Customs Automation Program (hereinafter in this subpart referred to as the “Program”) which shall be an automated and electronic system for processing commercial importations and shall include the following existing and planned components: (1) Existing components: (A) The electronic entry of merchandise. (B) The electronic entry summary of required information. (C) The electronic transmission of invoice information. (D) The electronic transmission of manifest information. (E) Electronic payments of duties, fees, and taxes. (F) The electronic status of liquidation and reliquidation. (G) The electronic selection of high risk entries for examination (cargo selectivity and entry summary selectivity). (2) Planned components: (A) The electronic filing and status of protests. (B) The electronic filing (including remote filing under section 1414 of this title) of entry information with the Customs Service at any location. (C) The electronic filing of import activity summary statements and reconciliation. (D) The electronic filing of bonds. (E) The electronic penalty process. (F) The electronic filing of drawback claims, records, or entries. (G) Any other component initiated by the Customs Service to carry out the goals of this subpart. (b) The Secretary shall by regulation prescribe the eligibility criteria for participation in the Program. The Secretary may, by regulation, require the electronic submission of information described in subsection (a) or any other information required to be submitted to the Customs Service separately pursuant to this subpart. (c) Not later than January 1, 2000, the Secretary shall provide for the inclusion of commercial importation data from foreign-trade zones under the Program. (A) The Secretary of the Treasury (in this subsection, referred to as the “Secretary”) shall oversee the establishment of an electronic trade data interchange system to be known as the “International Trade Data System” (ITDS). The ITDS shall be implemented not later than the date that the Automated Commercial Environment (commonly referred to as “ACE”) is fully implemented. (B) The purpose of the ITDS is to eliminate redundant information requirements, to efficiently regulate the flow of commerce, and to effectively enforce laws and regulations relating to international trade, by establishing a single portal system, operated by the United States Customs and Border Protection, for the collection and distribution of standard electronic import and export data required by all participating Federal agencies. (i) All Federal agencies that require documentation for clearing or licensing the importation and exportation of cargo shall participate in the ITDS. (ii) The Director of the Office of Management and Budget may waive, in whole or in part, the requirement for participation for any Federal agency based on the vital national interest of the United States. (D) The Secretary shall consult with and assist the United States Customs and Border Protection and other agencies in the transition from paper to electronic format for the submission, issuance, and storage of documents relating to data required to enter cargo into the United States. In so doing, the Secretary shall also consult with private sector stakeholders, including the Commercial Operations Advisory Committee, in developing uniform data submission requirements, procedures, and schedules, for the ITDS. (E) The Secretary shall be responsible for coordinating the operation of the ITDS among the participating agencies and the office within the United States Customs and Border Protection that is responsible for maintaining the ITDS. (A) The Interagency Steering Committee (established under paragraph (3)) shall, in consultation with the agencies participating in the ITDS, define the standard set of data elements to be collected, stored, and shared in the ITDS, consistent with laws applicable to the collection and protection of import and export information. The Interagency Steering Committee shall periodically review the data elements in order to update the standard set of data elements, as necessary. (B) The Interagency Steering Committee shall ensure that the ITDS data requirements are compatible with the commitments and obligations of the United States as a member of the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) for the entry and movement of cargo. (3) There is established an Interagency Steering Committee (in this section, referred to as the “Committee”). The members of the Committee shall include the Secretary (who shall serve as the chairperson of the Committee), the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and the head of each agency participating in the ITDS. The Committee shall assist the Secretary in overseeing the implementation of, and participation in, the ITDS. (A) The Secretary shall work with the head of each agency participating in the ITDS and the Interagency Steering Committee to ensure that each agency— (i) develops and maintains the necessary information technology infrastructure to support the operation of the ITDS and to submit all data to the ITDS electronically; (ii) enters into a memorandum of understanding, or takes such other action as is necessary, to provide for the information sharing between the agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection necessary for the operation and maintenance of the ITDS; (iii) not later than June 30, 2016, identifies and transmits to the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection the admissibility criteria and data elements required by the agency to authorize the release of cargo by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for incorporation into the operational functionality of the Automated Commercial Environment computer system authorized under section 58c(f)(4) of this title; and (iv) not later than December 31, 2016, utilizes the ITDS as the primary means of receiving from users the standard set of data and other relevant documentation, exclusive of applications for permits, licenses, or certifications required for the release of imported cargo and clearance of cargo for export. (B) Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to require any action to be taken that would compromise an ongoing law enforcement investigation or would compromise national security. (5) The President shall submit a report before the end of each fiscal year to the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives. Each report shall include information on— (A) the status of the ITDS implementation; (B) the extent of participation in the ITDS by Federal agencies; (C) the remaining barriers to any agency’s participation; (D) the consistency of the ITDS with applicable standards established by the World Customs Organization and the World Trade Organization; (E) recommendations for technological and other improvements to the ITDS; and (F) the status of the development, implementation, and management of the Automated Commercial Environment within the United States Customs and Border Protection. (6) It is the sense of Congress that agency participation in the ITDS is an important priority of the Federal Government and that the Secretary shall coordinate the operation of the ITDS closely among the participating agencies and the office within the United States Customs and Border Protection that is responsible for maintaining the ITDS. (7) Nothing in this section shall be construed as amending or modifying subsection (g) of section 301 of title 13. (8) The term “Commercial Operations Advisory Committee” means the Advisory Committee established pursuant to section 4316 of this title or any successor committee.