Working Group's Initial Report on Improving Imported Product Safety (Part II)
On September 10, 2007, the Interagency Working Group on Import Safety submitted its initial report to the President entitled "Protecting American Consumers Every Step of the Way: A strategic framework for continual improvement in import safety."
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The Working Group states that over the coming weeks, it plans to solicit extensive comments and recommendations from the public and will provide the President with a follow-up Action Plan by mid-November 2007. The Action Plan will be based on the initial report and will lay out a road map with short-term and long-term recommendations for improving import safety.
This is Part II of a multi-part series of summaries on the Working Group's initial report and highlights the four immediate actions recommended to the President, that the Working Group's leadership states will not wait for the issuance of the follow up Action Plan in 60 days. See future issues for additional summaries.
I. Complete Identification of ACE/ITDS Requirements
The Working Group recommends that the Executive Agencies complete their identification of technical, business, and legal requirements for operating within the Automated Commercial Environment/International Trade Data System (ACE/ITDS).
In order to accelerate the implementation of ITDS, the Working Group recommends that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) direct Participating Government Agencies (PGAs), especially those involved in import safety, toestablish or refine their ITDSImplementation Plans within 60 days, bysetting deadlines for developing, reviewing and finalizing conceptual operating plans, memoranda of understanding for the ITDS interface, and a set of technical and business requirements for identifying any program and system modifications needed to support the interface.
Further, in order to accelerate implementation of ITDS, the OMB should direct that CBP, within 60 days, establish or refine its Implementation Plan for ITDS by setting deadlines to (partial list):
include information currently reported by importers and carriers to CBP in the ACE Data Warehouse, where it can be accessed by other agencies.
implement World Customs Organization (WCO) Data Model messages (new international standard for customs reporting), which could provide a platform for electronic reporting of health and safety information in advance of the current ITDS production schedule.
II. Improve Collaboration and Information Sharing with the Private Sector
To conduct this outreach and improve collaboration with the importing community, the Working Group recommends that agencies expand on existing public-private relationships, such as the Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Related Homeland Security Functions (COAC), the Trade Support Network (TSN), etc.
III. Develop/Increase International Cooperation/Collaboration
The Working Group recommends that State and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) coordinate with other Working Group members to determine whether appropriate international and regional organizations could be helpful in hosting international conferences or other actions to promote product safety, in order to generate high-level global attention to a worldwide problem.
IV. Catalog Import Safety-Related Agreements with Foreign Governments
The Working Group recommends that agencies be instructed to catalog on-going and planned import safety-related agreements (bilateral and multilateral) with foreign governments. In addition, agencies should be required to meet within 45 days and then on a regular basis to discuss negotiations underway or that are anticipated, and share lessons learned.
In addition, the Department of Commerce should host regular advisory meetings for agencies to share information about their efforts, experiences and concerns.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 09/12/07 news, 07091215, for Part I.)
Working Group's initial report (dated 09/10/07) available at http://www.importsafety.gov/report/report.pdf.
Immediate actions recommended by Working Group (dated 09/10/07) available at http://www.importsafety.gov/report/immediateactions.html.
Press briefing by HHS Secretary and others, dated 09/12/07, available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/09/print/20070910-1.html.