Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request, 48491-48492 [2015-19911]

Download as PDF tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 156 / Thursday, August 13, 2015 / Notices fabrics listed are commercially unavailable fabrics, yarns, and fibers, which are also entitled to duty-free treatment despite not being produced in Colombia or the United States. The list of commercially unavailable fabrics, yarns, and fibers may be changed pursuant to the commercial availability provision in Chapter 3, Article 3.3, Paragraphs 5–7 of the Agreement. Under this provision, interested entities from Colombia or the United States have the right to request that a specific fabric, yarn, or fiber be added to, or removed from, the list of commercially unavailable fabrics, yarns, and fibers in Annex 3–B of the Agreement. Chapter 3, Article 3.3, paragraph 7 of the Agreement requires that the President ‘‘promptly’’ publish procedures for parties to exercise the right to make these requests. Section 203(o)(4) of the Act authorizes the President to establish procedures to modify the list of fabrics, yarns, or fibers not available in commercial quantities in a timely manner in either the United States or Colombia as set out in Annex 3–B of the Agreement. The President delegated the responsibility for publishing the procedures and administering commercial availability requests to the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (‘‘CITA’’), which issues procedures and acts on requests through the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Textiles and Apparel (‘‘OTEXA’’) (See Proclamation No. 8818, 77 FR 29519, May 18, 2012). The intent of the Commercial Availability Procedures is to foster the use of U.S. and regional products by implementing procedures that allow products to be placed on or removed from a product list, on a timely basis, and in a manner that is consistent with normal business practice. The procedures are intended to facilitate the transmission of requests; allow the market to indicate the availability of the supply of products that are the subject of requests; make available promptly, to interested entities and the public, information regarding the requests for products and offers received for those products; ensure wide participation by interested entities and parties; allow for careful review and consideration of information provided to substantiate requests and responses; and provide timely public dissemination of information used by CITA in making commercial availability determinations. CITA must collect certain information about fabric, yarn, or fiber technical specifications and the production capabilities of Colombian and U.S. VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:56 Aug 12, 2015 Jkt 235001 textile producers to determine whether certain fabrics, yarns, or fibers are available in commercial quantities in a timely manner in the United States or Colombia, subject to Section 203(o) of the Act. Affected Public: Business or other forprofit. Frequency: Varies. Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary. This information collection request may be viewed at www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view the Department of Commerce collections currently under review by OMB. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to OIRA Submission@ omb.eop.gov or fax to (202) 395–5806. Dated: August 10, 2015. Glenna Mickelson, Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer. [FR Doc. 2015–19903 Filed 8–12–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35). Agency: U.S. Census Bureau. Title: Advance Monthly Retail Trade Survey (MARTS). OMB Control Number: 0607–0104. Form Number(s): SM–4412A, SM– 4412AE, SM–4412AS, and SM–7212A. Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection. Number of Respondents: 4,900. Average Hours per Response: 5 minutes. Burden Hours: 4,900. Needs and Uses: The Advance Monthly Retail Trade Survey (MARTS) is administered monthly to a sample of employer firms (i.e., businesses with paid employees) with establishments located in the United States and classified in retail trade and/or food services sectors as defined by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). MARTS began in 1953 as a monthly survey for activity taking place during the previous month. MARTS was developed in response to requests by government, business, and other users to provide an early indication of current retail trade activity PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 48491 in the United States. Retail sales are one of the primary measures of consumer demand for both durable and nondurable goods. MARTS also provides an estimate of monthly sales at food service establishments and drinking places. The results from MARTS provide the earliest possible look at consumer spending. Without MARTS, the Census Bureau’s earliest measure of retail sales is the ‘‘preliminary’’ estimate from the full monthly sample, Month Retail Trade Survey (MRTS), released approximately 6 weeks after the end of the reference month. Advance estimates are released approximately 9 working days after the reference month. This survey uses a multi-mode data collection process that includes Internet reporting (Centurion), fax, telephone, and mail. The survey requests sales and e-commerce sales for the month just ending. If reporting data for a period other than the calendar month, the survey asks for the period’s length (4 or 5 weeks) and the date on which the period ended. The survey also asks for the number of establishments covered by the data provided and whether or not the sales data provided are estimates or more accurate ‘‘book’’ figures. The survey results are published on the Census Bureau’s Web site, https:// www.census.gov/retail. The U.S. Census Bureau tabulates the collected data to provide, with measured reliability, statistics on United States retail sales. These estimates are especially valued by data users because of their timeliness. There would be approximately a 6 week delay in the availability of these statistics if this survey were not conducted. The sales estimates are used by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), Federal Reserve Board (FRB), Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and other government agencies, as well as business users in formulating economic decisions. BEA uses the survey results as critical inputs to the calculation of the personal consumption expenditures component (PCE) of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Specifically, BEA Chief Statistician states ‘‘this important survey is our main data source for key components of BEA’s economic statistics. Data on retail sales are used to prepare monthly estimates of personal consumption expenditures component of gross domestic product for all PCE goods categories, except tobacco, prescription drugs, motor vehicles, and gasoline end oil. These estimates are also published each month in the Personal Income and Outlays press release’’. In first quarter 2015, PCE comprised 68 percent of total E:\FR\FM\13AUN1.SGM 13AUN1 48492 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 156 / Thursday, August 13, 2015 / Notices GDP. PCE Goods (retail) was 32 percent of the PCE estimate. CEA and other government agencies and businesses use the survey results to formulate and make decisions. CEA reports the retail data, one of the principal federal economic indicators, to the President each month for awareness on the current picture on the ‘‘state of the economy’’ and presents the data in one of the tables in Economic Indicators, a monthly publication prepared for Congress and the public. In addition, CEA’s Macroeconomic Forecaster uses the retail sales data, one of the key monthly data releases each month, to keep track of real economic growth in the current quarter. According to CEA, spending components in the retail sales report constitute about 25 percent of the GDP, well in excess of any other indicator. Policymakers such as the FRB need to have the timeliest estimates in order to anticipate economic trends and act accordingly. BLS uses the estimates to develop consumer price indexes used in inflation and cost of living calculations. In addition, businesses use the estimates to measure how they are performing and predict future demand for their products. Affected Public: Business or other forprofit. Frequency: Monthly. Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary. Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, sections 131 and 182. This information collection request may be viewed at www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce collections currently under review by OMB. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to OIRA_Submission@ omb.eop.gov or fax to (202) 395–5806. Dated: August 10, 2015. Glenna Mickelson, Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer. [FR Doc. 2015–19911 Filed 8–12–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–07–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:56 Aug 12, 2015 Jkt 235001 Agency: International Trade Administration. Title: Procedures for Considering Requests and Comments from the Public for Textile and Apparel Safeguard Actions on Imports from Colombia. Form Number(s): None. OMB Control Number: 0625–0271. Type of Request: Regular submission. Burden Hours: 24. Number of Respondents: 6 (1 for Request; 5 for Comments). Average Hours per Response: 4 hours for a Request; and 4 hours for each Comment. Average Annual Cost to Public: $960. Needs and Uses: Title III, Subtitle B, Section 321 through Section 328 of the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act (the ‘‘Act’’) [Pub. L. 112–42] implements the textile and apparel safeguard provisions, provided for in Article 3.1 of the United StatesColombia Trade Promotion Agreement (the ‘‘Agreement’’). This safeguard mechanism applies when, as a result of the elimination of a customs duty under the Agreement, a Colombian textile or apparel article is being imported into the United States in such increased quantities, in absolute terms or relative to the domestic market for that article, and under such conditions as to cause serious damage or actual threat thereof to a U.S. industry producing a like or directly competitive article. In these circumstances, Article 3.1 permits the United States to increase duties on the imported article from Colombia to a level that does not exceed the lesser of the prevailing U.S. normal trade relations (NTR)/most-favored-nation (MFN) duty rate for the article or the U.S. NTR/MFN duty rate in effect on the day before the Agreement entered into force. The Statement of Administrative Action accompanying the Act provides that the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) will issue procedures for requesting such safeguard measures, for making its determinations under section 322(a) of the Act, and for providing relief under section 322(b) of the Act. In Proclamation No. 8818 (77 FR 29519, May 18, 2012), the President delegated to CITA his authority under Subtitle B of Title III of the Act with respect to textile and apparel safeguard measures. CITA must collect information in order to determine whether a domestic textile or apparel industry is being adversely impacted by imports of these products from Colombia, thereby allowing CITA to take corrective action to protect the viability of the domestic PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 textile or apparel industry, subject to section 322(b) of the Act. Affected Public: Individuals or households; business or other for-profit organizations. Frequency: On occasion. Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary. This information collection request may be viewed at www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view the Department of Commerce collections currently under review by OMB. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to OIRA Submission@ omb.eop.gov or fax to (202) 395–5806. Dated: August 10, 2015. Glenna Mickelson, Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer. [FR Doc. 2015–19899 Filed 8–12–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Bureau of Economic Analysis Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Services Surveys: BE–185, Quarterly Survey of Financial Services Transactions Between U.S. Financial Services Providers and Foreign Persons Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104–13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before October 13, 2015. SUMMARY: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230, or via email at jjessup@doc.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should be directed to Christopher Stein, Chief, Services Surveys Branch (SSB) BE–50, Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. ADDRESSES: E:\FR\FM\13AUN1.SGM 13AUN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 156 (Thursday, August 13, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48491-48492]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-19911]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of 
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 
U.S.C. chapter 35).
    Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.
    Title: Advance Monthly Retail Trade Survey (MARTS).
    OMB Control Number: 0607-0104.
    Form Number(s): SM-4412A, SM-4412AE, SM-4412AS, and SM-7212A.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Number of Respondents: 4,900.
    Average Hours per Response: 5 minutes.
    Burden Hours: 4,900.
    Needs and Uses: The Advance Monthly Retail Trade Survey (MARTS) is 
administered monthly to a sample of employer firms (i.e., businesses 
with paid employees) with establishments located in the United States 
and classified in retail trade and/or food services sectors as defined 
by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). MARTS 
began in 1953 as a monthly survey for activity taking place during the 
previous month. MARTS was developed in response to requests by 
government, business, and other users to provide an early indication of 
current retail trade activity in the United States. Retail sales are 
one of the primary measures of consumer demand for both durable and 
non-durable goods. MARTS also provides an estimate of monthly sales at 
food service establishments and drinking places.
    The results from MARTS provide the earliest possible look at 
consumer spending. Without MARTS, the Census Bureau's earliest measure 
of retail sales is the ``preliminary'' estimate from the full monthly 
sample, Month Retail Trade Survey (MRTS), released approximately 6 
weeks after the end of the reference month. Advance estimates are 
released approximately 9 working days after the reference month.
    This survey uses a multi-mode data collection process that includes 
Internet reporting (Centurion), fax, telephone, and mail. The survey 
requests sales and e-commerce sales for the month just ending. If 
reporting data for a period other than the calendar month, the survey 
asks for the period's length (4 or 5 weeks) and the date on which the 
period ended. The survey also asks for the number of establishments 
covered by the data provided and whether or not the sales data provided 
are estimates or more accurate ``book'' figures.
    The survey results are published on the Census Bureau's Web site, 
https://www.census.gov/retail.
    The U.S. Census Bureau tabulates the collected data to provide, 
with measured reliability, statistics on United States retail sales. 
These estimates are especially valued by data users because of their 
timeliness. There would be approximately a 6 week delay in the 
availability of these statistics if this survey were not conducted.
    The sales estimates are used by the Bureau of Economic Analysis 
(BEA), Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), Federal Reserve Board (FRB), 
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and other government agencies, as 
well as business users in formulating economic decisions.
    BEA uses the survey results as critical inputs to the calculation 
of the personal consumption expenditures component (PCE) of Gross 
Domestic Product (GDP). Specifically, BEA Chief Statistician states 
``this important survey is our main data source for key components of 
BEA's economic statistics. Data on retail sales are used to prepare 
monthly estimates of personal consumption expenditures component of 
gross domestic product for all PCE goods categories, except tobacco, 
prescription drugs, motor vehicles, and gasoline end oil. These 
estimates are also published each month in the Personal Income and 
Outlays press release''. In first quarter 2015, PCE comprised 68 
percent of total

[[Page 48492]]

GDP. PCE Goods (retail) was 32 percent of the PCE estimate.
    CEA and other government agencies and businesses use the survey 
results to formulate and make decisions. CEA reports the retail data, 
one of the principal federal economic indicators, to the President each 
month for awareness on the current picture on the ``state of the 
economy'' and presents the data in one of the tables in Economic 
Indicators, a monthly publication prepared for Congress and the public. 
In addition, CEA's Macroeconomic Forecaster uses the retail sales data, 
one of the key monthly data releases each month, to keep track of real 
economic growth in the current quarter. According to CEA, spending 
components in the retail sales report constitute about 25 percent of 
the GDP, well in excess of any other indicator.
    Policymakers such as the FRB need to have the timeliest estimates 
in order to anticipate economic trends and act accordingly. BLS uses 
the estimates to develop consumer price indexes used in inflation and 
cost of living calculations. In addition, businesses use the estimates 
to measure how they are performing and predict future demand for their 
products.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Frequency: Monthly.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, sections 131 and 
182.
    This information collection request may be viewed at 
www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce 
collections currently under review by OMB.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov or fax to (202) 395-5806.

    Dated: August 10, 2015.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-19911 Filed 8-12-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.