Background

The Census Bureau is proposing to add a conditional data element – country of origin – when foreign origin is selected in the foreign/domestic origin Indicator field in the electronic export information submitted via the Automated Export System. Comments on this proposal are due by Feb. 14.

Census explains that an executive order issued earlier this year establishes a multi-agency approach in assessing and identifying critical supply chain components and gaps in domestic production filled by foreign nations that supply these goods instead. However, foreign trade statistics do not currently provide insight sufficient to identify gaps in domestic production and supply, evaluate supply chains, or address trade imbalances.

For example, the current foreign/domestic origin indicator field in AES does not capture the country of origin. Instead, U.S. agencies must rely on foreign trade partners to share the data they collect on the foreign and domestic origin of goods and evaluate it against the data collected on U.S. imports by CBP.

Census is therefore proposing to collect data on the entry and origin of foreign goods to improve its statistics, which among other things will help create and monitor trade agreements, formulate trade policy, assess U.S. supply chain issues, and identify and address trade imbalances.

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