[Federal Register: June 7, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 109)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 31771-31772]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07jn04-17]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Bureau of Economic Analysis
15 CFR Part 801
[Docket No. 040521151-4151-01]
RIN 0691-AA56
International Services Surveys: BE-22, Annual Survey of Selected
Services Transactions With Unaffiliated Foreign Persons
AGENCY: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.
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SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the proposed rule that revises the
reporting requirements for the BE-22, Annual Survey of Selected
Services Transactions with Unaffiliated Foreign Persons.
The BE-22 survey is conducted by the Bureau of Economic Analysis
(BEA), U.S. Department of Commerce, under the International Investment
and Trade in Services Survey Act. The data are needed to compile the
U.S. international transactions, national income and product, and
input-output accounts; support U.S. trade policy initiatives; assess
U.S. competitiveness in international trade in services; and improve
the ability of U.S. businesses to identify and evaluate market
opportunities.
The proposed rule changes the services covered by the survey.
Specifically, the BE-22 annual survey will no longer cover the services
that are covered by the new BE-25, Quarterly Survey of Transactions
Between U.S. and Unaffiliated Foreign Persons in Selected Services and
in Intangible Assets.
DATES: Comments on this proposed rule will receive consideration if
submitted in writing on or before August 6, 2004.
ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to the Office of the Chief,
International Investment Division (BE-50), Bureau of Economic Analysis,
U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230. To assure that
comments are received in a timely manner, please consider using one of
the following delivery methods: (1) Fax to (202) 606-5318, (2) deliver
by courier to U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
(BE-50), Shipping and Receiving Section, room M-100, 1441 L Street,
NW., Washington, DC 20005, or (3) e-mail to obie.whichard@bea.gov.
Comments received will be available for public inspection in room 7006,
1441 L Street, NW., between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Obie G. Whichard, Chief, International
Investment Division (BE-50), Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S.
Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230; phone (202) 606-9800.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This proposed rule amends 15 CFR Part 801 by
revising Section 801.9(b)(6)(ii) to set forth revised reporting
requirements for the BE-22, Annual Survey of Selected Services
Transactions with Unaffiliated Foreign Persons. The survey is conducted
by the BEA, U.S. Department of Commerce, under the International
Investment and Trade in Services Survey Act (Pub. L. 94-472, 90 Stat.
2059, 22 U.S.C. 3101-3108). Section 4(a) of the Act (22 U.S.C. 3103(a))
provides that the President shall, to the extent he deems necessary and
feasible, conduct a regular data collection program to secure current
information related to international investment and trade in services
and publish for the use of the general public and the United States
Government agencies periodic, regular, and comprehensive statistical
information collected pursuant to this subsection. In Section 3 of
Executive Order 11961, as amended by Executive Order 12518, the
President delegated the authority under the Act as concerns
international trade in services to the
[[Page 31772]]
Secretary of Commerce, who has redelegated it to BEA.
The BE-22 is an annual survey of selected services transactions
with unaffiliated foreign persons. The data are needed to compile the
U.S. international transactions, national income and product, and
input-output accounts; support U.S. trade policy initiatives; assess
U.S. competitiveness in international trade in services; and improve
the ability of U.S. businesses to identify and evaluate market
opportunities.
Executive Order 12866
This proposed rule has been determined to be not significant for
purposes of E.O. 12866.
Executive Order 13132
This proposed rule does not contain policies with Federalism
implications as that term is defined in E.O. 13132.
Paperwork Reduction Act
This proposed rule contains a collection of information requirement
subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) and has been submitted to
the Office of Management and Budget for review under the PRA.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required
to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for failure
to comply with, a collection of information subject to the requirements
of the PRA unless that collection displays a currently valid OMB
Control Number. The OMB number for the BE-22 is 0608-0060; the
collection will display this control number.
The survey, as proposed, is expected to result in the filing of
reports from approximately 800 respondents. The respondent reporting
burden for this collection of information is estimated to vary from
less than four hours to 300 hours, with an overall average burden of
11.5 hours. This includes time for reviewing the instructions,
searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data
needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.
Thus, the total respondent burden of the survey is estimated at about
9,200 hours (800 responses times 11.5 hours average burden).
Comments are requested concerning: (a) Whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of
the agency, including whether the information will have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d)
ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the
respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology. Comments should be addressed to:
Director, Bureau of Economic Analysis (BE-1), U.S. Department of
Commerce, Washington, DC 20230; and either faxed (202-395-7245) or e-
mailed (pbugg@omb.eop.gov) to the Office of Management and Budget,
O.I.R.A. (Attention PRA Desk Officer for BEA).
Regulatory Flexibility Act
The Chief Counsel for Regulation, Department of Commerce, has
certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy, Small Business
Administration, under the provisions of the Regulatory Flexibility Act
(5 U.S.C. 605(b)), that this proposed rulemaking, if adopted, will not
have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small
entities. While the survey does not collect data on total sales or
other measures of the overall size of businesses that respond to the
survey, historically the respondent universe has been comprised mainly
of major U.S. corporations. With the exemption level for the survey
being $1 million in covered receipts or payments, the reporting
threshold for this survey is set at a level that will exempt most small
businesses from reporting. Of those smaller businesses that must
report, most will tend to have specialized operations and activities
and thus will be likely to report only one type of service transaction,
often limited to transactions with a single partner country; therefore,
the burden on them can be expected to be small.
List of Subjects in 15 CFR Part 801
International transactions, Economic statistics, Foreign trade,
Penalties, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
Dated: May 11, 2004.
J. Steven Landefeld,
Director, Bureau of Economic Analysis.
For the reasons set forth in the preamble, BEA proposes to amend 15
CFR part 801, as follows:
PART 801--SURVEY OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN SERVICES BETWEEN U.S.
AND FOREIGN PERSONS
1. The authority citation for 15 CFR part 801 continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301, 15 U.S.C. 4908, 22 U.S.C. 3101-3108,
and E.O. 11961, 3 CFR, 1977 Comp., p. 86 as amended by E.O. 12013, 3
CFR, 1977 Comp., p. 147, E.O. 12318, 3 CFR, 1981 Comp., p. 173, and
E.O. 12518, 3 CFR, 1985 Comp., p. 348.
2. Section 801.9(b)(6)(ii) is revised to read as follows:
Sec. 801.9 Reports required.
* * * * *
(b) * * *
(6) * * *
(ii) Covered services. The covered services are: Advertising
services; auxiliary insurance services (by non-insurance companies
only); educational and training services; financial services (purchases
only by non-financial services providers); medical services, inpatient;
medical services, other than inpatient; merchanting services (receipts
only); mining services; disbursements to fund news-gathering costs of
broadcasters; disbursements to fund news-gathering costs of print
media; disbursements to fund productions costs of motion pictures;
disbursements to fund production costs of broadcast program material
other than news; disbursements to maintain government tourism and
business promotion offices; disbursements for sales promotion and
representation; disbursements to participate in foreign trade shows
(purchases only); other trade-related services; performing arts,
sports, and other live performances, presentations, and events; primary
insurance premiums (payments only); primary insurance losses recovered;
sale or purchase of rights to natural resources, and lease bonus
payments; use or lease of rights to natural resources, excluding lease
bonus payments; waste treatment and depollution services; and other
private services (language translation services; salvage services;
security services; account collection services; satellite photography
and remote sensing/satellite imagery services; space transport
(includes satellite launches, transport of goods and people for
scientific experiments, and space passenger transport); and
transcription services).
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 04-12788 Filed 6-4-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-06-P