Data sought on waterborne trade traffic

The Army Corps of Engineers is exploring whether there are any small businesses that can collect and manage trade data on products coming into and out of the United States via the water.

The Corps wants to collect monthly transportation data similar to data collected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection or the bills of lading filed by shipping lines to CBP. The data would cover all U.S. imports, exports and in-transit waterborne commerce to and from foreign countries, according to the sources sought notice.

The information should include date and trade direction, carrier and shipment details, cargo, weight and container details, product descriptions and codes, geographic indicators, shippers, consignees and processing information.

The notice doesn’t describe what the Corps of Engineers plans to do with the information but the data will be used by the corps Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center. According to its website, the center analyzes the feasibility of new projects and helps set priorities for future investment.

The center issues an annual report tracking the tonnage of cargo shipped on U.S. waterways, which the Corps is responsible for maintaining. This includes major rivers as well as the canals and other infrastructure.

The sources sought notice is being managed by the New Orleans district of the Corps, and it is looking for capabilities statements. The statements need to be kept to 10 pages.

Responses are due Dec. 27. The solicitation number is W912P8-17-SS-0003.