Justification for Change (FV-6) revised 2015

Justification for Change Worksheet
Specified Commodities Imported into the United States Exempt from Import Regulations

OMB No. 0581-0167

January 2015

Importer’s Exempt Commodity Form (FV-6)

This change worksheet modifies the Form FV-6 used by fruit, vegetable and specialty crop importers who seek exemption from section 8e import requirements. Changes to the form reflect the updated names of government offices to which importers need to provide the completed form, as well as the new phone number importers can call to speak with government specialists. The boxes in which importers and receiving processors indicate the intended use of the imported commodities are also updated for clarity. Total burden hours associated with this information collection, which OMB approved in August 2014, remain unchanged at 17,734 hours. The paper Form FV-6 is still a secondary option to the Marketing Order Online System which importers can use to enter and transmit the necessary information to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Approval of this Justification for Change Worksheet will allow the Agricultural Marketing Service to ensure the paper version mirrors the content of the already approved online version.

The change worksheet also informs OMB of the need to change the exemption authority for raisins from §999.100 and some types of dates from §999.300 to §999.500 for both. This change is the result of a rulemaking action (AMS-FV-14-0093; FV15-944/980/999-1 IR) the agency is preparing for publication in the Federal Register. The action merges the exemption authority for raisins and all date types into §999.500, which already includes all other specialty crop exemptions. This action is required by Executive Order 13659, Streamlining the Export/Import Process for America’s Businesses, which President Obama signed on February 19, 2014.