Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 69 / Thursday, April 10, 1997 / Notices 17579

persons who will attend the meeting

and require the services of a sign

language interpreter should contact the

Regional Office at least five (5) working

days before the scheduled date of the

meeting.

The meeting will be conducted

pursuant to the provisions of the rules

and regulations of the Commission.

Dated at Washington, DC, April 2, 1997.

Carol-Lee Hurley,

Chief, Regional Programs Coordination Unit.

[FR Doc. 97–9228 Filed 4–9–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6335–01–P

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS

Agenda and Notice of Public Meeting

of the Vermont Advisory Committee

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to

the provisions of the rules and

regulations of the U.S. Commission on

Civil Rights, that a meeting of the

Vermont Advisory Committee to the

Commission will convene at 12:30 p.m.

and adjourn at 4:30 p.m. on May 13,

1997, at the Sheraton Hotel and

Conference Center, 870 Williston Road,

Burlington, Vermont 05403. The

purpose of the meeting is to receive

updates from speakers on racial

harassment in Vermont public schools

and to continue work on a project

proposal for a Committee activity in late

fall 1997.

Persons desiring additional

information, or planning a presentation

to the Committee, should contact

Committee Chairperson Kimberly B.

Cheney, 802–229–0334, or Ki-Taek

Chun, Director of the Eastern Regional

Office, 202–376–7533 (TDD 202–376–

8116). Hearing-impaired persons who

will attend the meeting and require the

services of a sign language interpreter

should contact the Regional Office at

least five (5) working days before the

scheduled date of the meeting.

The meeting will be conducted

pursuant to the provisions of the rules

and regulations of the Commission.

Dated at Washington, DC, April 2, 1997.

Carol-Lee Hurley,

Chief, Regional Programs Coordination Unit.

[FR Doc. 97–9227 Filed 4–9–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6335–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of the Census

Shipper’s Export Declaration Program

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment

request.

SUMMARY: The Department of

Commerce, as part of its continuing

effort to reduce paperwork and

respondent burden, invites the general

public and other Federal agencies to

take this opportunity to comment on

proposed and/or continuing information

collections, as required by the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

Public Law 104–13 (44 U.S.C.

3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted on or before June 9, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments

to Linda Engelmeier, Departmental

Forms Clearance Officer, Department of

Commerce, Room 5327, 14th and

Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington,

DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or

copies of the information collection

instrument(s) and instructions should

be directed to Jerome M. Greenwell,

U.S. Bureau of the Census, Room 2176,

Federal Office Building #3, Washington,

DC 20233–0001, (301) 457–2238.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

The Shipper’s Export Declaration

(SEDs), Forms 7525–V, 7525–V

Alternate (Intermodal), and their

electronic equivalents are the basis for

the official U.S. export statistics

compiled by the Bureau of the Census

(Census). The SED for In-transit Goods

and Form 7513 serves as the source

document from which Census collects

and compiles the official U.S. statistics

on outbound in-transit shipments. Title

13, United States Code, Chapter 9,

Sections 301–307 authorizes the

collection of all these data. The official

export statistics provide a basic

component for the compilation of the

U.S. position on merchandise trade.

These data is an essential component of

the monthly totals on U.S. overall trade

in goods and services, a leading

economic indicator.

The statistical information on the SED

shows what is being exported

(description and commodity

classification number), how much

(quantity, gross weight and value), how

it is being exported (mode of

transportation, exporting carrier and

whether containerized), from where

(state of origin and port of export), to

where (port of unlading and country of

ultimate destination), and when (date of

exportation). The identification of the

exporter, forwarding agent, and

consignee provide contacts for

verification of the statistical

information. The Government uses

every data element on the SED for (1)

statistical purposes, (2) export control,

and/or (3) to obtain information to avoid

additional surveys.

The SEDs also are export control

documents under Title 50, United States

Code and are used to detect and prevent

the export of certain commodities (for

example, high technology or military

goods) to unauthorized destinations or

end users. The SEDs as official

documents of export transactions,

enable the U.S. Customs Service

(Customs) and the Bureau of Export

Administration to enforce the Export

Administration Regulations and thereby

detect and prevent the export of high

technology commodities to

unauthorized destinations. The

Department of State uses the SED to

enforce the International Traffic in Arms

Regulations to detect and prevent the

export of arms and ammunition to

unauthorized destinations.

In the past, each different type of

paper SED form was cleared separately.

In recent years the number of

submissions via automated programs,

the Automated Export Reporting

Program (AERP) operated by Census and

the new Automated Export System

(AES) operated by Customs, have grown

rapidly and must now be considered as

part of the SED submissions. With this

submission we will combine the various

types of SEDs, both paper and

electronic, under one OMB clearance

submission to better reflect reporting

burden and streamline the clearance

process.

II. Method of Collection

The SEDs are required for virtually all

export shipments valued over $2500

from the United States, Puerto Rico, and

the U.S. Virgin Islands. The SED

program is unique among Census

statistical collections since it is not sent

to respondents soliciting responses as is

the case in surveys. Filing the SED

information is mandatory under Title

13, Chapter 9 of the United States Code

and over 5.6 million paper SEDs and

over 53 million automated records were

submitted in 1996. Exporters can

purchase the paper SEDs or they may

have them privately printed. In

addition, over 300 automated exporters

or exporter agents submit data using

prescribed automated formats. For this

reason Census attempts to avoid

frequent changes in data content and

format. The paper SEDs and automated

formats in their present form have been

in continuous use since 1985 with

minor revisions in 1988. Once again for

this submission, there has been no

change in these formats.

Exporters or their agents file

individual paper SEDs with the
17580 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 69 / Thursday, April 10, 1997 / Notices

exporting carriers at the time that each

export shipment leaves the United

States. The carriers submit the

documents to Customs officials when

the carrier departs the United States and

Customs then transmits the SEDs to

Census on a flow basis for statistical

processing. For exports to Canada, the

United States is substituting Canadian

import statistics for U.S. exports to

Canada in accordance with a

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

signed by both the Customs and

statistical agencies in both countries.

Similarly, under this MOU, Canada is

substituting U.S. import statistics for

Canadian exports to the United States.

These data exchange eliminates the

requirement for U.S. exporters to file

any information with the U.S.

government. This results in the

elimination of over three million SEDs

annually.

The Census also allows monthly

reporting of export information directly

to Census via its AERP in lieu of filing

individual SEDs for transactions

submitted by automated exporters,

freight forwarders, and exporting

carriers. Information for over 5.3 million

export transactions were reported

through the AERP program during

calendar year 1996.

In addition, Census is participating

with Customs in implementing and

expanding the new AES. The new AES,

provides a voluntary automated

alternative to filing the paper SED. As

the new AES grows, AERP will be

phased out with planned termination

for the AERP program targeted for 1999.

The AES is currently available for

export transactions shipped by vessel

and is expected to be made available for

reporting transactions shipped via air

and overland modes of transport in the

near future. The AES is being developed

in accordance with the National

Performance review with the aim of

bringing total automation to the export

process by promoting a paperless

environment. Currently, Census has

extracted information on approximately

8500 export transactions since the AES

began operation in late 1996.

In summary, information on 60

percent of export transactions are

reported via automated formats and 40

percent of export transactions continue

to be reported via paper SEDs.

III. Data

OMB Number: 0607–0001 (SED forms

are currently also cleared under 0607–

0018 and 0607–0152. This submission

will combine all forms and eliminate

these two other clearances.)

Form Number: 7525V, 7525V

Alternate, 7513, AERP and AES

submissions.

Type of Review: Regular Submission.

Affected Public: Exporters, Freight

Forwarders, Export Carriers.

Estimated Number of Responses:

11,052,902: 7525V—3,711,470; 7525V

Alt—1,855,735; 7513—144,080; AERP—

5,332,717; AES—8,900;

Estimated Time Per Response: 11.166

minutes for 7525V, 7525V Alt and 7513;

3 minutes for AERP and AES

submissions.

Estimated Total Annual Burden

Hours: 1,329,951: 7525V—690,705;

7525V Alt—345,352; 7513—26,813;

AERP—266,636; AES—445;

Estimated Total Annual Cost:

1,329,951 @ $10/hour=$13,299,510.

Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory.

Legal Authority: Chapter 9, Title 13,

United States Code.

IV. Request for Comments

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance

of the functions of the agency, including

whether the information shall have

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of the burden

(including hours and cost) of the

proposed collection of information; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on respondents, including through the

use of automated collection techniques

or other forms of information

technology.

Comments submitted in response to

this notice will be summarized and/or

included in the request for OMB

approval of this information collection;

they also will become a matter of public

record.

Dated: April 4, 1997.

Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office

of Management and Organization.

[FR Doc. 97–9176 Filed 4–9–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–07–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board

[DOCKET 8–97]

Foreign-Trade Zone 82—Mobile, AL;

Application for Subzone Status,

Coastal Mobile Refining Co (Oil

Refinery Complex), Mobile County, AL;

Correction

The Federal Register notice (62 FR

8422, 2/25/97) describing the

application submitted to the ForeignTrade Zones Board (the Board) by the

City of Mobile, Alabama, grantee of FTZ

82, requesting special-purpose subzone

status for the oil refinery complex of

Coastal Mobile Refining Company

(wholly-owned subsidiary of Coastal

Corporation), located in Mobile County,

Alabama, is corrected as follows for

clarification:

Paragraph 4, Sentence 2, should read,

‘‘On domestic sales, the company would

be able to choose the Customs duty rate

that applies to certain finished products

such as asphalt (duty-free) by admitting

incoming foreign crude oil in nonprivileged foreign status.’’

Dated: April 2, 1997.

John J. Da Ponte, Jr.,

Executive Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–9262 Filed 4–9–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board

[Order No. 874]

Grant of Authority; Establishment of a

Foreign-Trade Zone Yuma, Arizona

Area

Pursuant to its authority under the ForeignTrade Zones Act of June 18, 1934, as

amended (19 U.S.C. 81a–81u), the ForeignTrade Zones Board (the Board) adopts the

following Order:

Whereas, by an Act of Congress

approved June 18, 1934, an Act ‘‘To

provide for the establishment of foreigntrade zones in ports of entry of the

United States, to expedite and

encourage foreign commerce, and for

other purposes,’’ as amended (19 U.S.C.

81a–81u) (the Act), the Foreign-Trade

Zones Board (the Board) is authorized to

grant to qualified corporations the

privilege of establishing foreign-trade

zones in or adjacent to U.S. Customs

ports of entry;

Whereas, Yuma County Airport

Authority, Inc., an Arizona non-profit

civic corporation, (the Grantee) has

made application to the Board (FTZ

Docket 10–96, 61 FR 6972, 2/23/96),

requesting the establishment of a

foreign-trade zone at the Yuma

International Airport in Yuma County,

Arizona, within the San Luis Customs

port of entry; and,

Whereas, notice inviting public

comment has been given in the Federal

Register, and the Board adopts the

findings and recommendations of the

examiner’s report and finds that the

requirements of the Act and the Board’s

regulations are satisfied, and that