• To : Automated Broker Interface
Subject: FDA INTERFACE
THE MUCH ANTICIPATED FDA INTERFACE WITH CUSTOMS HAS RECEIVED A FIRM       
"START-UP" DATE FOR THE PILOT TEST IN SEATTLE, WA.                        

  THE FDA PILOT TEST IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN ON OCTOBER 19, 1992.           

THIS DATE HAS BEEN DISCUSSED WITH THE NATIONAL BROKERS COMMITTEE,         
THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION AND U.S. CUSTOMS.  THE LATEST ROUND      
OF DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN FDA AND CUSTOMS HAS REDUCED THE NUMBER OF          
MANDATORY ELEMENTS WHICH WILL BE REQUIRED FOR THE ELECTRONIC              
TRANSMISSION OF THE FD-701 FORM.  THE FDA RECORD LAYOUTS WILL REMAIN      
THE SAME AS THE ORIGINAL DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS, WITH A FEW MINOR        
ALTERATIONS.  LISTED BELOW ARE THE FDA ELEMENTS REQUIRED FOR THE          
ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION.                                                  

     1) PRODUCT CODE                                                      
     2) FDA COUNTRY OF ORIGIN                                             
     3) FDA ACTUAL MANUFACTURER                                           
     4) FDA ACTUAL SHIPPER                                                
     5) FDA AFFIRMATION OF COMPLIANCE (CODE & QUALIFIER)                  

THESE FIVE DATA ELEMENTS ALL APPEAR IN THE FD01 INPUT RECORD.             
THE FD02 AND FD03 RECORDS MUST FOLLOW THE FD01 RECORD, BUT                
MAY BE SPACE FILLED.  THESE RECORDS MUST BE TRANSMITTED, BUT              
DO NOT HAVE TO CONTAIN ANY DATA.                                          

THE OI RECORD (INVOICE DESCRIPTION) MUST BE TRANSMITTED ALSO.             

THE FDA PILOT WILL BE TESTED IN SEATTLE ONLY.                             
     (PORTS 3001-3002-3029)                                               

  ** THESE CHANGES TO THE FDA PILOT PROGRAM WILL SPEED UP                 
     PROCESSING OF THE FD-701 DATA AND PRODUCE A MEANINGFUL               
     AMOUNT OF INITIAL "MAY PROCEEDS" TO THE FILER.                       


FURTHER DETAILS REGARDING THESE NEW CHANGES TO THE FDA                    
INTERFACE ARE PRESENTLY BEING COMPILED AND WILL BE TRANSMITTED            
IN ANOTHER ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE SOON.  WE WANTED TO INFORM              
THE IMPORTING TRADE OF THIS LATEST DEVELOPMENT AS SOON AS WAS             
POSSIBLE.                                                                 

QUESTIONS MAY BE DIRECTED TO YOUR CLIENT REP.