The U.S. Department of the Treasury invited public comment on proposed and/or continuing information collection as required by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for shipments of rough diamonds. The outreach is an annual requirement defined by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

Written comments must be received by August 29, 2011, at the Federal eRulemaking Portal (http://www.regulations.gov), or by Fax (Attn: Request for Comments - Rough Diamonds Reporting at 202.622.1657) or regular mail to the following address:

Attn: Request for Comments - Rough Diamonds Reporting

Office of Foreign Assets Control

Department of the Treasury

1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20220

Submissions must include the agency/company name and this following Federal Register Document number: FR Doc. 2011-16589.

Currently, the consignee of a rough diamond shipment, identified on Customs Form 7501 Entry Summary, is required to report specified information about the shipment to the foreign exporting authority within 15 calendar days of the date that the shipment arrived in the U.S. In addition, persons who import rough diamonds into the U.S. or export rough diamonds from the U.S. are required to file an annual report identifying total rough diamond import and/or export activity during the reporting year, as well as information on stockpiles of rough diamonds, if any, as of the end of the reporting year.

OFAC claimed that all of this information is needed to monitor the integrity of international rough diamond shipments, and the information collected will be used to further the group's compliance, enforcement, and civil penalty programs on behalf of the Department of the Treasury.