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SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR AN

INFORMATION COLLECTION REQUEST (ICR)

1. IDENTIFICATION OF THE INFORMATION COLLECTION

1(a) Title of the Information Collection

TITLE: Foreign Purchaser Acknowledgment Statement of Unregistered Pesticides

OMB No. 2070-0027 EPA No. 0161.13

1(b) Short Characterization/Abstract

This information collection enables the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to

provide notice to foreign purchasers of unregistered pesticides exported from the United States 

that the pesticide product cannot be sold in the United States. Section 17(a)(2) of the Federal 

Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (Attachment A) requires an exporter of any

pesticide not registered under FIFRA section 3 or sold under FIFRA section 6(a)(1) to obtain a 

signed statement from the foreign purchaser acknowledging that the purchaser is aware that the 

pesticide is not registered for use in, and cannot be sold in, the United States. A copy of this 

statement, which is known as the Foreign Purchaser Acknowledgement Statement, or FPAS, 

must be transmitted to an appropriate official of the government in the importing country. This 

information is submitted in the form of annual or per-shipment statements to the EPA, which 

maintains original records and transmits copies, along with an explanatory letter, to appropriate 

government officials of the countries which are importing the pesticide. 

In addition to the export notification for unregistered pesticides, FIFRA requires that all 

exported pesticides include appropriate labeling. There are different requirements for registered 

and unregistered products. Export labeling requirements meet the definition of third-party

notification. In the interests of consolidating various related information collection requests, this 

ICR includes burden estimates for the FPAS requirement for unregistered pesticides, as well as 

the labeling requirement for all exported pesticides, both registered and unregistered. These

burdens have been consolidated in this information collection since the implementation of the 

1993 pesticide export policy governing the export of pesticides, devices, and active ingredients 

used in producing pesticides. 

2. NEED FOR AND USE OF THE COLLECTION

2(a) Need/Authority for the Collection

This information is required to be submitted to EPA pursuant to section 17(a)(2) of 

FIFRA. Regulations pertaining to exporting pesticides are contained in Title 40 of the Code of 

Federal Regulations, Part 168, Subpart D (Attachment B).
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2(b) Practical Utility/Users of the Data

Section 17(a)(2) of FIFRA requires all exporters of unregistered pesticides to obtain 

signed statements from their customers acknowledging that they are aware that their purchased 

products are not registered in the United States. Hence, one use of this collection activity is in 

assuring that foreign purchasers of pesticides produced in the U.S. are aware of the products’ 

U.S. registration status. When such statements are submitted to EPA, the Agency is provided 

with a record of foreign destinations of domestically produced unregistered products. This 

enables the Agency to assure that such products, which are produced in the U.S. but cannot be 

legally sold for use in the U.S., have been legally distributed.

In addition, such statements are required by statute to be directed onward to the 

appropriate government officials in importing countries. Officials of foreign governments can 

use this information to verify that a specific pesticide product, that may or may not have an active 

ingredient that has been evaluated by EPA and approved for registration, has been exported to 

their country. The name and address of the purchaser in the importing country is included, 

enabling the government official to contact the purchaser directly, as appropriate. This 

information can be useful in countries which do not have the resources to maintain extensive 

import records or control systems.

3. NON DUPLICATION, CONSULTATIONS, AND OTHER COLLECTION 

CRITERIA

3(a) Non duplication

For every export of an unregistered pesticide, the U.S. exporter is required to obtain the 

FPAS prior to export and certify to EPA that export did not occur prior to the exporter’s receipt 

of the FPAS. The FPAS and the certification statement must then be transmitted to the 

governments of importing countries. EPA is not aware of any other collection requirements for 

this information. 

EPA recognizes that repeated submissions of purchaser acknowledgment statements 

involving the same country, purchaser, and pesticide product would be duplicative and 

potentially burdensome. Individual submissions do, however, provide information on the total 

number of shipments to a specific purchaser. For this reason, EPA offers an option to exporters 

to either make individual submissions for every export, or notify EPA upon the first export to the 

foreign purchaser and then provide an annual summary of all shipments no later than March 1 of 

the following calendar year. This reduces the redundancy that would be associated with the 

submission of identical acknowledgment statements by the same purchaser for the same product, 

while still providing EPA and foreign governments with information regarding the number of 

shipments in the previous calendar year.
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3(b) Public Notice Required Prior to ICR Submission to OMB

In proposing to renew this ICR, EPA published a notice in the Federal Register 

announcing a 60-day public notice and comment period on the draft ICR (80 FR 26554; May 8, 

2015). The agency received one public comment in response to this notice. EPA determined that 

the comment did not provide information that was relevant to the burden associated with this 

ICR. The comment is available in the docket for this ICR and can be accessed at 

http://www.regulations.gov using the docket identifier EPA-HQ-OPP-2015-0231.

3(c) Consultations

In addition to the public notice that EPA published in the Federal Register concerning the 

renewal of this ICR, the Agency consulted with stakeholders who actively interact with the 

Agency through the use of this collection instrument, as required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1). 

Three companies were selected at random to respond to questions about the information 

collection and the accuracy of the burden estimates. EPA received no responses to its request for 

comment on this ICR. A summary of the consultations is in available Appendix E in the docket

(docket ID EPA-HQ-OPP-2015-0231) for this ICR.

3(d) Effects of Less Frequent Collection

By offering the compliance option of annual reporting, EPA is offering a less frequent 

information submission to reduce the burden of per-shipment reporting. Further reduction, i.e., 

to a one-time submission for the life of the product or otherwise to a frequency of less than once 

a year could compromise the accuracy of the data on the number of shipments exported to a 

particular purchaser in another country. Less frequent submission could also make it difficult for 

foreign governments to determine the regulatory status of imported pesticides.

The annual summaries provide EPA with the ability to monitor compliance with the 

requirements of section 17(a). Currently, such records must be retained by exporters for only two 

years. Since the summaries are submitted after the applicable year, less frequent submissions 

could result in the unavailability of records necessary to validate submissions.

3(e) General Guidelines

In accordance with 5 CFR 1320.5(a)(iii)(E), federal agencies are required to indicate 

whether the proposed collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, 

mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information 

technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses, and an explanation of the 

decision.

Information collected under this ICR is currently submitted to EPA by mail. At this time, 

there are no practicable automated information submission techniques available under this 

information collection activity readily available to all pesticide purchasers and companies selling 

products world-wide that could enable the collection and submission of electronic signatures.
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Beginning in 2012, EPA began transmitting the FPAS electronically to Designated 

National Authorities (DNAs) identified by the Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent 

for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade where a valid email 

address exists and through mail where one does not. EPA has determined that sending the FPAS, 

which may contain FIFRA sensitive information, through the mail or via electronic media to 

foreign governments pursuant to FIFRA section 17 is acceptable for the following reasons: 1)

The transmission is a limited, non-public disclosure required by FIFRA; 2) Foreign recipients are 

not subject to FIFRA security procedures in the FIFRA Information Security Manual; 3) The 

specific recipient in the government of the importing country is often not known. For both 

electronic or mail transmissions, the transmission includes a cover with the following language: 

“This Purchaser Acknowledgement Statement may contain information claimed as confidential. 

Please treat the statement according to appropriate national confidentiality laws and regulations.”

3(f) Confidentiality

EPA urges submitters to minimize the amount of claimed Confidential Business 

Information (CBI). All data and/or information submitted to the Agency under this information 

collection that may be claimed as trade secret, commercial or financial information will be 

protected from disclosure by EPA under FIFRA section 10.

Based on “Nonconfidentiality of Certain Information Submitted under Sections 7 and 

17(a)(2) of FIFRA”, 55 FR 1261 (January 12, 1990) and “Class Determination 1-91, Identity of 

Importing Country Under FIFRA Section 17(A)(2),”, 58 FR 9062 (February 18, 1993),the 

following information will generally not be considered confidential: (a) The fact that a producer 

makes a registered or unregistered pesticide product; (b) the fact that an acknowledgement 

statement or other notice of export has been filed by an exporter; (c) the identity of the 

unregistered exported product; and, if applicable, the identity of the active ingredients of the 

pesticide; and (d) the identity of the importing country and the country or countries of final 

destination.” According to statute, this same information must be reported to the government of 

the importing country. 

Exported research and development substances that fit the criteria set out in 40 CFR 

168.75(5) are not subject to the FPAS requirement, but are subject to the labeling requirement. 

Confidential business information may be required to be submitted in the case where a business 

wishes to export an unregistered research pesticide product that does not fit the criteria of 

168.75(5). EPA recognizes that the chemical identity of the research product may require 

protection as confidential business information, but believes that it is essential that the Agency

nevertheless be able to accurately identify the nature of the product. The identity of a product 

under research and development may be identified by use of identification codes which protect 

proprietary information.

3(g) Sensitive Questions

No information of a sensitive nature is required to be submitted.
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4. THE RESPONDENTS AND THE INFORMATION REQUESTED

4(a) Respondents - NAICS Codes

Respondents affected by the collection activities under this ICR are individuals or entities 

that either manufacture and export pesticides or that reformulate or repackage and export 

pesticides. The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code assigned to the 

parties responding to this information is as follows: 

Category NAICS 

code

Examples of potentially

affected entities

Pesticide and other agricultural 

chemical manufacturing

325300 Individuals or entities engaged in activities related to the 

registration of a pesticide product.

4(b) Information Requested

There are no forms for this activity. In preparing the statement, the exporter is free to 

format the document in any manner as long as it includes all of the required information. The 

exporter must obtain the signed statement from the foreign purchaser before the pesticide can be 

shipped.

(i) Data items, including record keeping requirements

A. Foreign Purchaser Acknowledgment Statement (FPAS)

After determining that the product is subject to this requirement, the exporter must obtain 

a statement of the type described in item 4(b)(i) from the foreign purchaser of the pesticide 

product. This will normally require that the exporter provide the purchaser with a prepared 

statement for signature or with instructions that are adequate to ensure that the purchaser can 

prepare the statement.

If the exporter anticipates making more than one shipment of the product to the purchaser 

in a given year, the exporter may elect to notify EPA only at the time of the first shipment and to 

choose to comply with the annual reporting option, which requires the submission of an annual 

summary of shipments of pesticides shipped to each purchaser.

The FPAS must contain the following information:

1. Name and address of exporter.

2. Name and address of foreign purchaser.

3. Name of product and active ingredient.

4. Statement that foreign purchaser is aware that the product is not registered for use in 

the United States and cannot be sold for use in the United States.

5. If known, country of final destination of the exported shipment if different from 

country of import.
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6. Signature of foreign purchaser.

7. Date that purchaser acknowledgment statement is signed by foreign purchaser.

8. Certification that shipment did not occur prior to receipt of Purchaser 

Acknowledgment Statement.

9. Exporter’s signature.

Information required to be collected must be maintained pursuant to 40 CFR 168.85. 

B. Third Party Notification Requirements; Export Labeling

All exported registered pesticides must bear the EPA approved label and supplemental labeling 

options have been made to accommodate the importing country’s requirements. For unregistered 

pesticides, the following information must be included on the labels or labeling:

1. EPA pesticide producing establishment number.

2. Warning or caution statements.

3. The statement “Not Registered for Use in the United States of America.” The labels 

of all pesticides, devices, and active ingredients which are not registered for use in the 

United States under FIFRA section 3 must include this statement.

4. The ingredient statement.

5. Identity of parties.

6. Weight or measure.

7. Additional warning for highly toxic pesticides.

8. Use classification statement.

C. Multilingual labeling requirement

For both registered and unregistered products, the following labeling information must be 

multilingual:

1. Warning and caution statements.

2. Where applicable, the statement “Not registered for use in the United States of 

America.”

3. Ingredient statement.

4. If the pesticide, device or active ingredient is highly toxic to humans, the skull and 

crossbones, the word “Poison,” and a statement of practical treatment must appear on 

the label. The word “Poison” and the statement of practical treatment shall be in 

English and in an acceptable language of the country of import, and in an acceptable 

language in the country of final destination, if known or reasonably ascertainable.
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(ii) Respondent Activities

A. Submission of Foreign Purchaser Acknowledgment Statement

The exporter is required to send a copy of the purchaser acknowledgment statement to 

EPA within 7 days of having shipped the pesticide, along with a signed statement that the 

shipment did not occur prior to receipt of the purchaser acknowledgment statement. In addition, 

if the exporter chooses the annual reporting option, he or she must include a statement that the 

FPAS is for the first shipment of a pesticide to a particular purchaser in a specific country, and 

that the exporter will report this information annually. Where an exporter chooses to comply

with the annual summary reporting option, a summary must be sent after the end of the calendar 

year which lists all shipments of a particular pesticide shipped to a particular foreign purchaser. 

It is not required for the statement to be submitted to EPA in time to enable EPA to notify the 

importing country prior to arrival of the pesticide.

Submission of a purchaser acknowledgment statement does not require the maintenance 

of any records unique to this section. All records needed to ensure and verify compliance with 

this requirement are required under section 8 of FIFRA. The recordkeeping burden related to this 

requirement is covered under another ICR.1

B. Exemption of research and development pesticides

Records supporting research and development status must include information regarding 

research intent of the shipment as well as information indicating knowledge that the quantity

being shipped is consistent with research intent, as specified in 40 CFR 168.75 (b)(5). Persons 

claiming an exemption from the FPAS requirement for the export of research and development 

products must maintain records which support the R&D claim for each shipment so claimed. In 

its policy, EPA has limited research claims only to shipments where the quantity shipped would 

be unlikely to support a commercial use. Thus, the company’s records must be sufficient to 

support the claim that the quantity shipped is only sufficient for use within the limits of the 

policy. This can be done either in the form of communications received from the purchaser 

before or on the date of export or in the form of instructions sent to the purchaser before or on the 

date of export.

Alternatively, the exporter may retain records which indicate that the quantity shipped is 

compatible with the claim that the amount can only be used as provided in the policy. Such 

information could include test results, literature citations, or other information which supports 

the claim.

At the time of shipment, the exporter must maintain a record of the identity, amount, and 

date that the pesticide was shipped, the destination and purchaser, and the intended research use. 

 

1

OMB Control No. 2070-0028; EPA ICR 0143 Recordkeeping Requirements for Producers of Pesticides under 

section 8 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)
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Most of this information is typically reflected on invoice/shipping records normally maintained 

for such products; records of pesticide shipments are already required to be maintained under 

FIFRA section 8. Other documentation supporting research use is generally available as typical 

business practice and should not impose additional burdens. Records of shipment and 

confirmation of research intent must be maintained and made available for inspection and 

copying by EPA for two years following the exportation of the pesticide.

C. Export labeling

Every exported pesticide, device, and active ingredient used in producing a pesticide must 

bear a label or labeling which meets the requirements of FIFRA section 17(a)(1). This 

requirement applies to all such pesticides, devices, or active ingredients, regardless of whether 

the export is for commercial or research and development use. The specific requirements for the 

labeling of exported pesticides are described above. The required label statements may be met 

through either immediate container labels, or accompanying supplemental labeling, or through a 

combination of the two. 

EPA included supplemental labeling as an option to ease the compliance burden of this 

requirement. Supplemental labeling used to meet pesticide export label requirements must be 

attached to each smallest divisible shipping container of a given pesticide product. In the case 

that cartons or drums are secured to a pallet such that they will not be separated from the pallet 

during shipment, it is permissible to attach supplemental labeling to the pallet load. An example 

would be where a pallet of cartons has a wrapper (e.g., shrink-wrap) which contains all of the 

cartons on the pallet. However, if cartons or drums are loosely stacked on a pallet so that they

could be separated during shipment, each drum or carton must be labeled.

Exporters are also required to keep records of the product labeling, including the EPA 

registered labeling, any foreign labeling on or attached to the product when shipped, and as 

applicable, any supplemental labeling. The records are to be maintained in a manner that shows 

exactly which labels and labeling accompanied each shipment of a pesticide product to a foreign 

country.

5. THE INFORMATION COLLECTED -- AGENCY ACTIVITIES, COLLECTION 

METHODOLOGY, AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

5(a) Agency Activities

EPA is required to perform the following activities:

1. Respond to questions submitted by respondents.

2. Receive submissions of acknowledgment statements, certification statements, and 

summaries of shipments.

3. Review submissions for completeness.

4. Transmit submissions of acknowledgment statements and summaries of 

shipments to appropriate government officials of importing countries.
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5. Maintain a file of all submissions.

EPA has automated the process of reviewing and filing submissions. The submissions are 

now scanned and an electronic copy (pdf) is stored and saved. The Agency also now transmits 

the submissions of acknowledgment statements and summaries of shipments to appropriate 

government officials of importing countries electronically where a valid email address exists.

5(b) Collection Methodology and Management

EPA maintains a file of all submitted acknowledgment statements. This file includes the 

following for each submitted statement: 

1. Copy of the purchaser acknowledgment statement and certification that shipment 

did not occur before receipt of statement by exporter.

2. Date that the statement was forwarded to the appropriate government official or 

agency of the importing country.

3. Copy of the estimate summary of the number of shipments to be made in 

association with that statement.

EPA reviews its files annually for completeness, following the submission of annual 

summaries of shipments, by referencing establishment reporting records for apparent 

discrepancies. EPA targets inspections based on such apparent discrepancies to determine 

whether a violation under FIFRA has occurred.

5(c) Small Entity Flexibility

Under this reporting requirement, small entities must follow the same collection 

procedures as large companies. Both large and small entities may avail themselves of options

which support alternative, flexible means of meeting specific requirements: 1. reporting options; 

2. acquisition options, and 3. formatting options of required information. The Agency allows 

respondents the choice of reporting options; respondents can choose between annual estimates 

and summaries or per-shipment statements. Respondents are also allowed flexibility in 

determining the method of obtaining the foreign purchaser acknowledgment statement. Finally, 

EPA provides flexibility in the formatting of submissions; small entities and occasional 

submitters may find it easier to comply with the requirements since they do not have to adhere to 

a specific format.

5(d) Collection Schedule

Not applicable. The activity is conducted only as purchaser acknowledgment statements 

are received. There is no set schedule for the collection of this information.
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6. ESTIMATING THE BURDEN AND COST OF THE COLLECTION

6(a) Methodology for Estimating Respondent Cost

The methodology for calculating the wage rates in this revision of the ICR has been 

updated to be consistent with the method for wage calculation for all ICRs managed by the 

Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP). This approach uses a transparent and consistent 

methodology employing publicly-available data to provide more accurate estimates and allow 

easy replication of the calculations. Wage estimates are based on 2013 wage data.

Methodology: The methodology uses data on each sector and labor type for an Unloaded 

wage rate (hourly wage rate), and calculates the Loaded wage rate (unloaded wage rate + 

benefits), and the Fully loaded wage rate (loaded wage rate + overhead). Fully loaded wage 

rates are used to calculate the Agency’s staffing costs. 

Unloaded Wage Rate: Wages are estimated for labor types (management, technical, and 

clerical) within applicable sectors. The Agency uses average wage data for the relevant sectors 

available in the National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates from 

the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) at http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm. 

Sectors: The specific North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code and 

website for each sector is included in that sector’s wage rate table. Within each sector, the wage 

data are provided by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). The SOC system is used by

Federal statistical agencies to classify workers into occupational categories for the purpose of 

collecting, calculating, or disseminating data (see http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_stru.htm ). 

Loaded Wage Rate: Unless stated otherwise, all benefits represent 45% of unloaded wage 

rates, based on benefits for all civilian non-farm workers, from 

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.t01.htm. However, if other sectors are listed for which 

45% is not applicable; the applicable percentage will be stated.

Fully Loaded Wage Rate: We multiply the loaded wage rate by 50% (EPA guidelines 20-

70%) to get overhead costs. Attachments D and E contain worksheets providing the breakout of 

these costs. 

To derive the labor rates for this ICR, Agency economists estimated the wages for the 

management, technical, and clerical labor categories using the methodology cited above. The 

respondent costs for this renewal for managerial, technical and clerical rates are estimated at 

$125.64, $70.61 and $39.55 per hour, respectively. These labor rates are fully loaded and include

benefits and overhead costs.

6(b) Estimating Respondent Burden and Cost

The overall respondent burden hours associated with this collection total 17,993 hours per 

year. This figure shows a decrease of 6,477 burden hours from the previous ICR. The difference 
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is due to a decrease in the average number of respondents per calendar year from 2012-2014.

The requirements to be fulfilled under this ICR consist of two parts: submission of the 

Foreign Purchaser Acknowledgment Statements (FPAS); and the third party notification export 

labeling requirement. The third party labeling requirement is further subdivided into labeling 

requirements for unregistered exported pesticide products and multilingual labeling requirements 

for registered exported pesticide products. 

(i) Estimating the Respondent Burden and Cost of the FPAS Requirement

This ICR renewal includes a respondent burden estimate of 3,205 hours for the FPAS 

requirement. This figure is based on the average of 3,024 notices received annually from 2012-

2014, and is an increase of 741 notices from the previous renewal. Table 1 presents the 

calculations for total annual costs, a breakdown of the FPAS collection activities per respondent, 

and the expected labor mix required for each activity. Hourly wage rates for firms in NAICS 

325300 were used to calculate respondent burden. The fully loaded hourly wage rates for 

management, technical, and clerical occupations for NAICS 325300 are $125.64, $70.61, and 

$39.55, respectively. See Attachment D for labor wage calculations. The total management, 

technical, and clerical hours are multiplied by the annual number of requests and by the fully

loaded wage rates to get a total annual respondent cost of $201,132 for submitting FPAS forms.

All records submitted under this information collection are either required to be kept 

under FIFRA Section 8 or are maintained in the normal course of business. Exporters who feel 

that per-shipment submissions represent undue burden may choose to report annually. The pershipment notification and annual summary requirements of this option are based on records of 

production and shipment records already required by regulations under FIFRA Section 8, so such 

information will be readily available to exporters, who may submit it without reformatting or 

special preparation. These annual submissions may be included as part of the annual submission 

of acknowledgment statements and thus would result in minimal burden.

Table 1. Respondent Burden/Cost: Submission of FPAS

Collection Activity Burden Hours (per year) Total

Mgmt

$125.64/hr

Technical

$70.61/hr

Clerical

$39.55/hr

Hours Cost ($)

Read Regulations 0.08 0.00 0.00 0.08 10.05

Plan Activities 0.00 0.08 0.00 0.08 5.65

Gather Information 0.00 0.08 0.00 0.08 5.65

Process, compile and reveal 

information

0.00 0.16 0.00 0.16 11.30

Complete paperwork 0.00 0.25 0.25 0.50 27.54

Record, disclose & display

information

0.00 0.00 0.08 0.08 3.16

Store, maintain and file 0.00 0.00 0.08 0.08 3.16
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information

TOTAL 0.08 0.57 0.41 1.06 66.51

ANNUAL BURDEN: 1.06 hrs (64 minutes) X 3,024 statements = 3,205 hours per year

ANNUAL COSTS: $66.51 X 3,024 respondents = $201,132 per year

1 Hourly wages rates are fully loaded wage rates based on NAICS 325300 - Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other 

Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing from U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2013. See 

Attachment D for wage calculations. 

2 Totals may not sum due to rounding.

(ii) Estimating the Respondent Burden of the Third Party Notification Export 

Labeling Requirement

As discussed above, certain information must be included on the labels or labeling of 

exported pesticides. The labeling requirements may be met by supplemental labeling attached to 

either the product container or the shipping container.

Tables 2 and 3 present the estimated respondent burden for product labeling of 

unregistered and registered exported pesticide products. The Agency has estimated that on 

average over 2012-2014, 611 unregistered pesticide products and 1,800 registered pesticide 

products are exported annually. The number of unregistered pesticides exported is based on 

counting the number of unique products per year identified in the foreign purchaser 

acknowledgement statements. This figure is a decrease from 900 in the estimated number of 

unregistered pesticide products exported annually in the previous renewal. The decrease is due in 

part to a change in the way EPA estimates the number of exported unregistered products. 

Historically, in order to estimate the number of unregistered exported pesticide products, the 

Agency had assumed that one-quarter of the pesticides exported from the U.S. are not registered 

for use in the United States. The Agency believes the new method of estimating the number of 

exported unregistered products in more accurate.

Product labeling for unregistered exported products accounts for a total of eight burden 

hours, at a cost of $576.85, for each unregistered product. This equates to a total annual burden 

of 4,888 hours and a total annual cost of $352,457 across all unregistered products.

Table 2. Respondent Burden/Cost: Unregistered Exported Pesticide Product Labeling

Collection Activity Burden Hours (per year) Total

Mgmt

$125.64/hr

Technical

$70.61/hr

Clerical

$39.55/hr

Hours Cost ($)

Read Regulations 0.50 0.00 0.00 0.50 62.82

Design Labels 0.00 2.00 0.00 2.00 141.22

Translate Labels 0.00 5.00 0.00 5.00 353.04

Complete Paperwork and Store 

Information

0.00 0.00 0.50 0.50 19.77

TOTAL 0.50 7.00 0.50 8.00 576.85
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ANNUAL BURDEN: 8 hours x 611 unregistered products = 4,888 hours

ANNUAL COSTS: $576.85 x 611 unregistered products = $352,457

1 Hourly wages rates are fully loaded wage rates based on NAICS 325300 - Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other 

Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing from U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2013. See 

Attachment D for wage calculations. 

2 Totals may not sum due to rounding.

Certain information must be provided in the languages of the country or countries of final 

destination. Table 3 presents the estimated respondent burden for multilingual product labeling 

of registered exported pesticide products. The labeling requirements may be met by

supplemental labeling attached to either the product container or the shipping container. EPA 

estimates that it will take respondents approximately 5.5 hours at a cost of $372.81 to meet the 

multilingual labeling requirement for each product. This estimation is based on the estimate that 

to prepare one label in one language would take approximately one hour, and that, on average, 

exporters prepare a label for each of the major destinations of export shipments. In reviewing the 

major destinations of export shipments, EPA estimates that most labels would be in one or more

of the following languages: French, Spanish, German, Taiwanese, and Portuguese. As discussed 

above, EPA has assumed that there are three times as many registered products exported than 

unregistered. Using this assumption and the estimated number of exported unregistered products 

(611), EPA estimates the total number of registered products exported to be 1,800 per year. This 

equates to a total annual burden of 9,900 hours and a total annual burden of $671,066 across all 

respondents.

Table 3. Respondent Burden/Cost: Multilingual Product Labeling, Registered Pesticide 

Product Exports

Collection Activity Burden Hours (per year) Total

Mgmt

$125.64/hr

Technical

$70.61/hr

Clerical

$39.55/hr

Hours Cost ($)

Translate Labels 0.00 5.00 0.00 5.00 304.25

Complete Paperwork and Store 

Information

0.00 0.00 0.50 0.50 18.56

TOTAL 0.00 5.00 0.50 5.50 372.81

ANNUAL BURDEN: 5.5 hours x 1,800 exported registered products = 9,900 hours

ANNUAL COSTS: $372.81 x 1,800 exported registered products = $671,066

1 Hourly wages rates are fully loaded wage rates based on NAICS 325300 - Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other 

Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing from U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2013. See 

Attachment D for wage calculations. 

2 Totals may not sum due to rounding.

6(c) Estimating Agency Burden and Cost

Agency costs for this information collection activity are minimal, and include only the 

record keeping associated with the receipt of the acknowledgment statements and costs 

associated with the transmittal of acknowledgment statements to the appropriate government 

official in the importing country. EPA estimated hourly burden at 0.17 hours (around 10
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minutes) per statement. Based on this estimate, annual costs are determined by multiplying 

hourly burden by the wage rate for technical labor. This estimate represents a decrease of 777 

burden hours since the previous renewal. This decrease is due to the automation of the filing and 

transmission process described in section 5(a). 

Table 4. Agency Processing Burden for FPAS Requirement

Collection Activity Hours Annual Cost ($)

Technical

$80.18/hr

Receive, review acknowledgment statements for completeness, 

and enter in log book

0.08 6.41

Data entry of information in acknowledgment statements 0.04 3.21

Make necessary copies and transmit submission to appropriate 

government officials of importing countries

0.03 2.41

Maintain a file of all submissions 0.02 1.60

Respond to inquiries EPA receives 

10 inquiries per 

year, spends 1 

hour to respond 

to each inquiry

for a total 

burden of 10 

hours per year

TOTAL 0.17 13.63

ANNUAL BURDEN: 3,024 statements x 0.17 hours = 524 hours1

ANNUAL COSTS: 3,024 statements x $13.63 = $41,2291

1

Includes 10 hours of EPA burden in responding to 10 inquiries per year.

Hourly wages rates are fully loaded wage rates based on NAICS code 999100 - Federal Executive Branch from U.S. 

Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2013. See Attachment A for wage calculations. 

Totals may not sum due to rounding.

6(d) Bottom Line Burden Hours and Cost

(i) Respondent Burden by Information Collection (IC)

The total annual respondent burden hours for this ICR are estimated at 17,993 hours. 

This accounts for 3,205 hours for the FPAS requirement, 4,888 hours for the labeling of 

unregistered pesticides, and 9,900 hours for the labeling of registered pesticides. 

The total annual respondent cost for this ICR is estimated to be $1,224,655. This 

estimate is composed of the following costs: $201,132 for the FPAS requirement, $352,457 for 

the labeling of unregistered pesticides, and $671,066 for the labeling of registered pesticides. 
August 30, 2015

15

Table 5. Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours and Cost

Information Collection Responses 

Per Year

Burden Per 

Response (hours)

Annual 

Burden 

(hours)

Annual 

Cost ($)

Foreign Purchaser 

Acknowledgment Statements 3,024 1.06 3,205 $201,132

Labeling for Unregistered 

Exported Pesticide Products 611 8 4,888 $352,457

Multilingual Product Labeling 

for Registered Exported 

Pesticide Products

1,800 5.5 9,900 $671,066

Total Annual Respondent Burden 17,993 1,224,655

1 Totals may not sum due to rounding.

(ii) Agency Burden

The total annual agency burden for this ICR is estimated to be 524 hours. This would 

result in a total annual agency cost of $41,229. 

Table 6. Bottom Line Burden Hours and Cost

TOTAL

Hours Costs

Respondent Burden Estimate 17,993 $1,224,655

Agency Burden Estimate 524 $41,229

6(e) Reason for Changes in Burden

There were no program changes affecting this ICR, and there was no change in the 

estimated average response time for respondents. There is a decrease of 6,477 hours in the total 

estimated respondent burden compared with that identified in the ICR currently approved by

OMB. The total respondent burden decreased despite an increase in the annual number of 

foreign purchaser acknowledgement statements submitted (from 2,283 to 3,024) which resulted 

in a change to the annual burden hours for respondents from 2,420 in the previous renewal to 

3,205 in the current renewal. The respondent burden associated with labeling requirements for 

unregistered exported pesticides decreased from 7,200 in the previous renewal to 4,888 in the 

current renewal. The respondent burden associated with labeling requirements for registered 

exported pesticides decreased from 14,850 in the previous renewal to 9,900 in the current 

renewal. The decrease in burden is due to a decrease in the estimated number of exported 

products; the estimated number of exported products decreased from 3,600 (2,700 registered and 

900 unregistered) to 2,411 (1,800 registered and 611 unregistered) from the previous renewal to 

the current renewal of this information collection. Thus, although the number of foreign 

purchaser acknowledgement statements and the associated burden has increased, the net burden 
August 30, 2015

16

for this information collection has decreased due to the decrease in the estimated number of 

exported pesticide products. Although the total labor costs decreased, hourly labor costs for 

respondents and the Agency increased as a result of changes in the wage rates made to: a) reflect 

current wage rates and b) to make the methodology for calculating wage rates consistent with 

other OPP ICRs. The new wage estimates incorporated higher estimates for benefits than was 

used in the previous renewal. These changes are an adjustment.

6(f) Burden Statement

Annual respondent burden for this collection of FPAS information requirements is 

estimated to average 1.06 hours (around 65 minutes) per response and has not changed since the 

last renewal. The annual respondent burden for meeting labeling requirements for unregistered 

and registered exported pesticide products is estimated to average 8.0 hours and 5.5 hours, 

respectively. This estimate includes the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and 

maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The 

Agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of 

information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

The Agency has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID No. EPA-HQOPP-2015-0231, which is available for online viewing at www.regulations.gov, or in person 

viewing at the OPP Docket in the EPA Docket Center, EPA West, Rm. 3334, 1200 Pennsylvania 

Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20460-0001. This docket facility is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 

p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The docket telephone number is (703) 

305-5805. 

You may submit comments regarding the Agency's need for this information, the 

accuracy of the provided burden estimates and any suggested methods for minimizing respondent 

burden, including the use of automated collection techniques. Comments may be submitted to 

EPA electronically through http://www.regulations.gov or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, 

Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, 

Washington, DC 20460. You can also send comments to OMB, addressed to “OMB Desk 

Officer for EPA” and referencing OMB Control No. 2070-0040, via email to 

oira_submission@omb.eop.gov.

Include docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OPP-2015-0231 and OMB control number 2070-0040 in 

any correspondence, but do not submit foreign purchaser acknowledgement statements or any

related information to these addresses. 
August 30, 2015

17

ATTACHMENTS TO THE SUPPORTING STATEMENT

Attachments to the supporting statement are available in the public docket established for this 

ICR under docket identification number EPA-HQ-OPP-2015-0231. These attachments are 

available for online viewing at www.regulations.gov or otherwise accessed as described in 

section 6(f) of the supporting statement.

Attachment A: 7 U.S.C. 136o - Section 17 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and 

Rodenticide Act. Also available online at the United States GPO website.

Attachment B: 40 CFR 168.75 - Procedures for exporting unregistered pesticides – purchaser 

acknowledgement statements. Also available online at the Electronic Code of 

Federal Regulations website.

Attachment C: Display Related to OMB Control #2070-0027 

Attachment D: Work Sheets used to Calculate Industry Labor Costs

Attachment E: Work Sheets used to Calculate EPA and Federal Government Labor Costs

Attachment F: Summary of Consultations