SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

Current Trade/Client Representative Case Management System

CBP's Client Services Representatives are located in the Office of Trade (OT), Trade Transformation Office (TTO), Client Services Division (CSD). CSD seeks to improve the stakeholder (trade user) experience through supporting the trade community's use of the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) for processing cargo transactions, while also protecting the privacy of trade data. CSD operates and supports trade interaction within CBP electronic cargo processing systems by providing expertise for complex CBP trade processing problems. CSD oversees direct trade access into CBP's automated system and ensures the privacy of trade data. CSD is comprised of the following branches: (1) the Post Summary Processing Branch, (2) the Cargo Release and Partner Government Agency (PGA) Branch, (3) the Air and Truck Manifest Branch, (4) the Entry Summary and Post Summary Corrections (PSC) Branch, (5) the Automated Export System (AES) and Free Trade Zone (FTZ) Branch, and (6) the Ocean and Rail Manifest Branch.

Under the existing process, trade members contact their assigned CBP Client Representative by telephone or by email, requesting assistance in resolving technical issues the trade member may encounter and that the member is unable to resolve in-house. The Client Representative responds to trade inquiries and assists with resolving the issues. There is no centralized repository for the intake of this type of trade outreach and no feasible means of tracking the resolution of such matters.

II. General Description of the CRTAP Test

As part of its ongoing effort to modernize its client services trade interactions processes, CBP developed a case management system, entitled the Client Representative Technical Assistance Portal (CRTAP), to streamline operations by automating manual tasks and creating workflows, improve communication and collaboration throughout CSD and with the trade community, provide data analysis and measure the effectiveness of assistance provided to the trade community, and standardize the intake process for submission and resolution of technical issues.

The CRTAP test is a voluntary test that is limited to brokers, self-filers, software providers, Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) Operators, Automated Export System (AES) users, and/or Automated Manifest Systems (AMS) users. CBP will select participants based on the eligibility criteria discussed in Section IV below. The selected participants will provide their requests for technical assistance to their CBP Client Representative through a designated web address linking them to the CRTAP. CBP Client Representatives will respond to the test participants through the CRTAP, requesting additional information, as needed, and ultimately resolving the technical issues. Once an issue is resolved, the CBP Client Representative will close out the transaction using the CRTAP. At the conclusion of the 45-day test period, CBP will examine any feedback received, assess the feasibility of the CRTAP, and determine whether expanded use of the portal is warranted.

The CRTAP test will commence 30 days from the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register . It will continue for 45-days, unless the test is extended, modified, or discontinued in a subsequent notice published in the Federal Register .

CBP will continuously monitor the CRTAP, examining transactions from submission to resolution, to determine whether modifications need to be made to the test while it is ongoing. Upon conclusion of the 45-day test period, CBP will determine whether the test needs to be expanded to additional users, whether the CRTAP meets the needs of CBP and the trade, and whether the CRTAP should become a permanent case management system.

IV. Eligibility Requirements and Application Process

CBP is opening the CRTAP test to a maximum of nine (9) trade members who are brokers, self-filers, software providers, FTZ Operators, AES users, and AMS users. CBP will select a variety of participants to best evaluate the functionality of the CRTAP case management system. Interested parties should apply by submitting an email to gmb.clientrepoutreach@cbp.dhs.gov, within 30 days from the date of publication of this notice, stating their interest in participating, discussing their role within the trade community, identifying their Client Representative, if one has already been assigned to them, stating how their participation will benefit them in the development of the CRTAP case management system, and acknowledging their agreement not to share any information, including CRTAP access information. Participants will be selected based on their ability to provide feedback to CBP and their role within the trade community, to ensure broad representation of the trade community. Test participants will receive technical and operational guidance throughout the test.

V. Test Evaluation Criteria

All interested parties are invited to comment on any aspect of this test. To ensure adequate feedback, test participants are required to take part in an evaluation of the test. CBP seeks comments and feedback on the design, conduct, and implementation of the test to determine whether to modify, alter, expand, limit, continue, end, or implement this program. Comments should be submitted to CBP by email to gmb.clientrepoutreach@cbp.dhs.gov, with the subject line reading “Comments/Questions on CRTAP Test.”

VI. Benefits of Participating in the CRTAP Test

Participation in the test will provide test participants with the opportunity to test and give feedback to CBP on the CRTAP test design and scope. Participation may also enable test participants to determine whether submitting questions, information, and documentation through the CRTAP allows them to better track and reference communications with their CBP Client Representative, to communicate more effectively with their company clients, and to know when a given customs issue has been resolved. Ultimately, participation may ( printed page 69568) allow brokers, self-filers, FTZ Operators, AES users, and AMS users to determine whether the CRTAP serves as an improvement over the current process of contacting their CBP Client Representatives by telephone or email to resolve their technical assistance questions.

VII. Confidentiality

Data submitted and entered into the Client Representative Technical Assistance Portal (CRTAP) may include confidential commercial or financial information which may be protected under the Trade Secrets Act (18 U.S.C. 1905), the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552), or the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a). CBP will ensure that all Privacy Act requirements and applicable policies are adhered to during the implementation of this pilot. However, as stated in previous test notices, participation in this test or any of the previous NCAP tests is not confidential and, therefore, upon receipt of a written Freedom of Information Act request, the name(s) of an approved participant(s) will be disclosed by CBP in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552.

XIII. Authorization for the Test

Section 101.9(a) of title 19 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (19 CFR 101.9(a)), provides for the general testing of programs or procedures, to evaluate the effectiveness of new technology or operational procedures. As provided in 19 CFR 101.9(a), for purposes of conducting a general test, the Commissioner of CBP may impose requirements different from those specified in the CBP regulations. Testing of the Client Representative Technical Assistance Portal (CRTAP) meets the requirements of 19 CFR 101.9(a) as it involves determining whether the portal improves efficiency and reduces the burden of information collection to resolve cargo system processing issues.

IX. Paperwork Reduction Act

The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3507(d)) requires that CBP consider the impact of paperwork and other information collection burdens imposed on the public. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and an individual is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless the collection of information displays a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number assigned by OMB. This CRTAP test, which is limited to nine (9) or fewer participants, is exempt from the requirements under the PRA. If CBP decides to expand the CRTAP test to additional participants, it will do so in accordance with the PRA regulations and upon publication in a future Federal Register Notice.

91 FR 69566