President Obama, by Executive Order in 2014--Streamlining the Export/Import Process for America’s Businesses--mandated the use of a single electronic system, the International Trade Data System (ITDS), to streamline transactions for the import and export of products regulated by any US Federal Agency.
This rule enables NOAA Fisheries to meet this mandate, by streamlining and consolidating its procedures and trade documentation requirements for certain fishery products, establishing regulations which integrate the collection of trade documentation within ITDS, and requiring information be submitted through a single electronic portal.
The ITDS is an important step in the longer-term implementation of a risk-based approach to seafood traceability. By consolidating existing international trade permits under the Antarctic Marine Living Resources (AMLR) Program and Highly Migratory Species International Trade Program (HMS ITP), and expanding the scope to include regulated seafood products under the Tuna Tracking Verification Program (TTVP), a single consolidated permit will also provide a more streamlined and cost-effective approach for collecting import and export documentation.
