CSMS Message: 92-000344

THE CUSTOMS/FCC PILOT INTERFACE IN SAN FRANCISCO, WHICH WAS IMPLEMENTED
APRIL 6, 1992, HAS BEEN EVALUATED AS A COMPLETE SUCCESS. CONSEQUENTLY,
WE ARE READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEPS IN EXPANDING THE INTERFACE FOR THE
COLLECTION AND TRANSMISSION OF FCC FORM 740 DATA TO FCC HDQTRS.

FIRST, WITH REGARD TO THE PILOT AT SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
(2801) AND SEAPORT (2809): EFFECTIVE MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 1992, THE
REQUIREMENT FOR ABI FILERS TO SUBMIT 740 DATA IN A DUAL MODE (BOTH
ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION AND PAPER) WILL BE DISCONTINUED. FOR ABI
FILERS TRANSMITTING AN ENTRY VIA THE ABI SYSTEM WHICH INCLUDES 740
DATA, THE PAPER FCC 740 FORM WILL NO LONGER HAVE TO BE FORWARDED TO
THE FCC SEPARATELY. AS BEFORE, CUSTOMS WILL CONTINUE TO REQUIRE THE
FCC 740 FORM FROM NON-ABI FILERS AND FOR ENTRIES NOT TRANSMITTED
THROUGH ABI.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ABI FILERS ARE TO CONTINUE SENDING TO FCC HDQTRS
ANY REQUESTS TO HAVE FCC 740 DATA ON SPECIFIC ENTRIES WITHHELD FROM
PUBLIC INSPECTION AS PROVIDED FOR UNDER 47 CFR SECTION 0.459 OF FCC
RULES. SUCH REQUESTS WERE PREVIOUSLY ATTACHED TO THE COPY OF THE
740 SENT TO THE FCC (ADDRESS: FCC, WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554,
ATTENTION: IMPORTS). THE FCC HAS ASSURED US THAT 740 DATA FOR
ENTRIES SENT ELECTRONICALLY TO THE FCC WILL NOT BE DIVULGED PRIOR
TO CONSIDERATION OF THE 0.459 REQUESTS AS LONG AS THEY ARE SENT
BEFORE OR AT TIME OF SUBMITTING ENTRY SUMMARY DOCUMENTATION TO
CUSTOMS.

NOTICE TO PROGRAMMERS!!! A NEW FIELD HAS BEEN SET UP IN THE FC02
RECORD FOR FILERS TO ENTER AN INDICATOR "W" IF THE IMPORTER REQUESTS
UNDER 47 CFR SECTION 0.459 THAT FCC 740 DATA BE WITHHELD FROM PUBLIC
INSPECTION. THIS DOES NOT REPLACE THE WRITTEN REQUEST, BUT SERVES
TO NOTIFY FCC THAT A REQUEST HAS BEEN SENT. THE FIELD IS OPTIONAL,
CALLED "WITHHOLD FROM PUB. INSPEC. REQ.", ONE ALPHA, IN POSITION 17
OF THE FC02 RECORD. OTHERWISE, THE FIELD IS TO BE LEFT BLANK. ABI
FILERS SHOULD HAVE THIS ENHANCEMENT ADDED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
IN THE INTERIM, FCC HAS BUILT INTO ITS SYSTEM A TIMED HOLD ON ALL
ENTRIES TO PREVENT RELEASE OF THE DATA TO THE PUBLIC UNTIL THE
WRITTEN REQUEST IS RECEIVED (WITHIN THE LIMITS NOTED IN PARA 3
ABOVE).

SECONDLY, CONCERNING EXPANSION OF THE INTERFACE: EFFECTIVE
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1992, THE FCC INTERFACE WILL BE EXPANDED
NATIONWIDE TO ALL REMAINING U.S. PORTS. THE FULL EXPANSION WILL
BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH CUSTOMS DIRECTIVE NO. 3530-05 DATED JULY
16, 1991, "BROKER PARTICIPATION IN OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY
INTERFACES". SPECIFICALLY, PARTICIPATION WILL BE VOLUNTARY AT
THE EXPANSION PORTS (INITIATED SIMULTANEOUSLY) FOR ONE YEAR AND
THEN WILL BECOME MANDATORY AT THESE SITES. IF A FILER CHOOSES
TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FCC INTERFACE AT AN EXPANSION PORT, ALL
HIS ABI ENTRIES AT THAT PORT WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE FCC INTERFACE
EDITS AND VALIDATIONS. FILER PARTICIPATION IN THE FCC INTERFACE
AT EXPANSION PORTS WILL NOT BE IN THE DUAL MODE--IF THE 740 DATA
IS SUBMITTED THROUGH ABI, NO PAPER FORM 740 IS REQUIRED.
PARTICIPATING ABI FILERS SHOULD PLAN TO HAVE THEIR AUTOMATED
SYSTEMS ENHANCED TO INCLUDE THE SOFTWARE NECESSARY TO PROCESS AND
TRANSMIT THE ADDITIONAL DATA FOR ENTRIES SUBJECT TO FCC REGULATIONS
BY THE IMPLEMENTATION DATE (11/23/92). TIME SHOULD BE ALLOWED FOR
SYSTEM TESTING AS NECESSARY. ABI FILING REQUIREMENTS CAN BE FOUND
IN THE CUSTOMS AND TRADE AUTOMATED INTERFACE REQUIREMENTS (CATAIR)
MANUAL IN THE OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES CHAPTER.

LASTLY, AN ORDER ON RECONSIDERATION WAS ADOPTED BY THE FCC ON
JULY 17, 1992, (NOT YET PUB'D IN FED REG) WHICH AFFECTS THE FCC
QUANTITATIVE LIMITS FOR CERTAIN IMPORT CONDITION CODES. THESE
ARE: IMP COND NO. 03 AMENDED "TO ALLOW FOR THE IMPORTATION OF
200 OR FEWER DEVICES" FROM THE CURRENT LIMIT OF 10 DEVICES; AND
IMP COND NO. 04 TO RETAIN THE LIMIT OF TEN DEVICES INTENDED IN
THE JULY 1991 RULES AS CLARIFIED IN THE RECENTLY PUBLISHED FCC
ORDER ON RECONSIDERATION. THESE EDITS SHOULD BE PROGRAMMED INTO
THE ABI SYSTEM BY EARLY SEPTEMBER, SO PLEASE BE ALERT TO FCC
ENTRIES WITH QUANTITIES RELATED TO THESE IMPORT CONDITIONS.

QUESTIONS REGARDING THE FCC INTERFACE MAY BE DIRECTED TO YOUR
ABI CLIENT REPRESENTATIVE OR THE FCC PROJECT OFFICER, BECKY
TRAFTON, AT CUSTOMS HDQTRS., PHONE: 202/927-0721.

Referenced By

CSMS #92-000655