AMS represents the Department of Agriculture on the ITDS Board of Directors which, along with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Customs) and the Department of Homeland Security, is designing and implementing the integrated government-wide system for the electronic collection, use and dissemination of international trade data.

Currently, traders provide import shipment information to individual Federal agencies using a variety of automated systems and a multitude of paper forms. Using ITDS, the trade will provide data once. Each agency will extract the information it needs to make a decision on the imported product: whether to allow it into the United States, how much duty ought to be paid, if there are hazardous materials for which to look, or report the information as provided by law.

ITDS will provide the framework to collect information on behalf of federal agencies and will enable Customs to more effectively assist them in enforcing regulations related to international trade.

For AMS, the near-instantaneous release of import and export information via ITDS, as opposed to the current 30-45 day release, will enable AMS to offer enhanced Market News data to worldwide users. This information will be segregated in more detail in terms of variety, size, color, and condition.

For AMS marketing order import compliance efforts, ITDS will facilitate pre-screening of commodities, allowing more time and effort on high-risk imports. ITDS will also minimize the possibility of imported products covered under Section 8e of the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act from entering the United States uninspected.