Regulations

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Introduction The Foreign Trade Statistics Regulations is an official issuance of the Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce with the concurrence of the Secretary of the Treasury. It is a looseleaf compilation of regulations, as published in the Federal Register, governing the reporting of statistical information on U.S. trade with foreign countries, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Possessions. These regulations are binding upon carriers as well as upon individuals and organizations making shipments from and/or into the United States. This publication consists of the regulations originally published in the Federal Register of March 16, 1963, as modified by all subsequent amendments through December 1982. The organization and numbering of the Foreign Trade Statistics Regulations conform to the system used by the Federal Register. These regulations comprise one Part (Part 30 C.F.R.) entitled Foreign Trade Statistics subdivided for convenience into subparts. Principal divisions within each subpart are known as Sections. Each section has an appropriate heading and a number composed of the Part number (30) followed by a decimal point and one or more digits without reference to subpart. Thus, Section 15 is numbered 30.15. Paragraphs within sections are identified by lower case letters and suitable headings where appropriate. Future changes in the provisions of these regulations will be announced in a Foreign Trade Statistics Regulations Letter (referred to as FTSR letter) issued immediately after the change has been published in the Federal Register. Subsequent thereto reprint pages for insertion in the Foreign Trade Statistics Regulations will be issued. Each reprint page will be identified by page number in the Foreign Trade Statistics Regulations so that its place is readily apparent. By following the simple set of filing instructions accompanying each transmittal of reprint pages, users will have a complete and current set of foreign trade statistics regulations at all times. In addition to announcing changes in the Regulations, per se FTSR Letters are used to interpret or explain existing regulatory material and to inform the public of other matters relating to the reporting, collection, compilation, and publication of foreign trade statistics.